What is the difference between a f1 and a f7 on tornadoes?

Answer 1

There is no such thing as an F7 tornado. Only the categories F0 to F5 have ever been used in practice.

But the difference is in intensity. The Fujita (F) scale rating of a tornado is determined by damage. Each category has a range of wind estimates.

Later these wind estimates wer adjusted for the Enhance Fujita (EF) scale.

F0 tornadoes cause light damage such as removal of shingles and broken tree limbs, with estimated winds of 40-72 mph (EF0 65-85 mph).

F1 tornadoes cause moderate damage, overturning trailers, stripping roofs, and breaking windows, with estimated winds of 73-112 mph (86-110 mph)

F5 tornadoes cause incredible damage, blowing houses clean off their foundations and destroying concrete structures with estimated winds of 261-318 mph (EF5 over 200 mph)

The F7 category was only ever theoretical, with estimated winds of 381-445 mph. But the creator of the Fujita scale himself labeled F6 as "inconceivable" and believed, as do most scientists, that tornadic winds cannot get much higher than 300 mph.

Answer 2

The Fujita Scale (F-Scale) measures tornado intensity based on damage, with F1 indicating moderate damage and F7 being the highest intensity with devastating damage. F7 tornadoes are extremely rare and almost theoretical, with estimated wind speeds exceeding 318 mph. F1 tornadoes, on the other hand, have estimated wind speeds ranging from 73 to 112 mph and typically cause moderate damage.