Tornadoes

Such experiments help to capture the imagination and interest of children and foster an interest in science. Some of these children may then grow up to become scientists who work toward advancing scientific knowledge and technology.

A tornado in a bottle is created to demonstrate the vortex motion of a tornado. It helps visualize the swirling motion and updrafts associated with tornadoes, without the destructive force or dangers of a real tornado.

Tornadoes vary widley in size and speed. The average tornado is 50 to 100 yards wide, has winds of 80 to 90 mph, and travels at 30-35 mph. However tornadoes can range anywhere from less than 10 yards wide to over 2 miles wide, can have winds from 65 mph to over 300 mph, and can be nearly stationary or travel at over 70 mph.

Tornadoes do not usually travel in a straight line. They can change direction and speed rapidly, making them unpredictable and dangerous. Tornado paths are often characterized by erratic and twisting movements as they move across the landscape.

The low pressure inside a tornado pulls air inward. This air accelerates to great speeds as it enters the tornado, though due to the spin not much of the air actually reaches the center. Generally lower pressure means faster winds, and thus more potential for damage.

A tornado classified as EF-5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale causes the most damage. These tornadoes have wind speeds of over 200 mph and are capable of destroying well-built homes and leveling entire neighborhoods.

Humidity itself does not cause tornadoes. Tornadoes form from the interaction of different air masses with varying temperature, humidity, and wind conditions. High humidity levels can contribute to the instability needed for severe thunderstorms that can produce tornadoes under the right atmospheric conditions.

tornado is often made visible by a distinctive funnel-shaped cloud. Commonly called the condensation funnel, the funnel cloud is a tapered column of water droplets that extends downward from the base of the parent cloud. It is commonly mixed with and perhaps enveloped by dust and debris lifted from the surface.

If you mean a twenty percent chance of precipitation, yes. In some cases a system will produce isolated supercell thunderstorms which have the potential to produce tornadoes. While most places would not see any rain from these storms, there would be the potential for tornadoes.

Lightning occurs within tornadoes due to intense convective forces and the separation of electrical charges within the storm. As air rises rapidly inside the tornado, friction between particles can create and build up static electricity, leading to lightning discharges.

It is due to something called the conservation of angular momentum. When something is spinning and you pull it into a smaller radius, it speeds up. Tornadoes form when a mesocyclone, the rotating updraft of a thunderstorm, is squeezed into a tighter, more intense circulation.

Neither. A funnel cloud that touches the ground is a tornado. A thunderhead is the sort of cloud that develops into a thunderstorm, and a supercell is the kind of thunderstorm most likely to produce a tornado.

If you mean wind speeds, there have been.

On May 24, 2011 Doppler radar measured winds in a tornado to over 210 mph.

On April 26, 1991 Dopper radar measured winds in a tornado of at least 257 mph.

On May 3, 1999 Doppler radar measured the highest wind ever recorded in a tornado at 302 mph.

Aside from direct measurement, since the Enhanced Fujita scale was created in 2007 the U.S. has had seven tornadoes with winds estimated to be over 200 mph based on damage.

Tornadoes can vary in size, with the majority being around 50-200 feet wide. However, they can range from very small, known as gustnadoes or landspouts, to very large, with diameters exceeding one mile. The Enhanced Fujita Scale is used to categorize tornadoes based on their intensity and resulting damage.

The funnel of a tornado is caused by condensation, due to the pressure drop and resulting temperature drop inside it. Temperature and pressure also decrease with increasing altitude, making it easier for condensation to occur and causing the funnel to be wider at the top. At the bottom, the pressure and temperature may only be low enough for condensation at the very center of the tornado.

Tornadoes are able to stay off the ground due to the incredibly strong updrafts and rotation within the thunderstorm that created them. These updrafts keep the tornado suspended in the air as it moves along the ground.

Techincally, 100%. If it does not touch the ground it is not considered a tornado. The number of potential tornadoes that do not touch down is not known, as these weaker circulations are often difficult to detect.

Tornado size is typically determined by the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale, which considers the tornado's estimated wind speeds and the damage caused. The EF scale ranges from EF0 (weakest) to EF5 (strongest), with tornado size typically increasing with higher EF ratings. Additionally, meteorologists may also assess the tornado's width and the path length to get a comprehensive understanding of its size.

It depends on the tornado. If it is a single vortex tornado the winds near at the edge of the core will be the fastest. However, many of the strongest tornadoes are multivortex, meaning that they have smaller vorticies (almost like mini tornadoes) inside the main vortex.

In a multivortex tornado the fastest winds are within these subvortices.

Tornadoes are natural phenomena that cannot be prevented or stopped. The best way to stay safe is to be prepared by monitoring weather conditions, having a plan in place for shelter, and following the guidance of local authorities during severe weather warnings.

There is no real term for the tip of a tornado. A small area of intense suction in a tornado may be referred to as a suction spot.

The stronger a tornado the more energy it takes and most storms do not have the energy to produce a tornado stronger than F1 or are not organized enough to focus that energy into a tornado. Additionally, tornado ratings are based on damage and some tornadoes stay in open fields, causing no damage. Such tornadoes are rated F0.

The estimated wind speed for each category on the Fujita (F) scale is listed below along with the more accurate wind speed range of its Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale equivalent*.

F0: 40-72 mph (EF0 65-85 mph)

F1: 73-112 mph (EF1 86-110 mph)

F2: 113-157 mph (EF2 111-135 mph)

F3: 158-206 mph (EF3 136-165 mph)

F4: 207-260 mph (EF4 166-200 mph)

F5: 261-318 mph (EF5 over 200 mph)

*the actual determining factor for a rating is damage, which is used to estimate wind speed. In recent years it was found that the wind speed estimates for the damage levels on the original F scale were wrong, ans so were update on the EF scale in 2007.

Common terms describing tornado shape:

Rope: a narrow funnel extending from a cloud base, typically winding and bending. Often indicates a weak or dissipating tornado.

Elephant trunk: a somewhat thicker variation of an elephant trunk, still inidcating a fairly small tornado.

Stovepipe: a vertical column- shaped funnel, often very large.

Cone: a large cone of funnel shape significantly wider at cloud base than at ground level.

Hourglass: a massive cloud of dust obscures the funnel.

Wedge: An extremly large tornado that appears wider than it is tall.

These terms are somewhat arbitrary and there is a bit of overlap. What one person calls a wedge another person might call a large stovepipe. Additionally, a tornado will often change shape and size during its time on the ground. Below are links to video examples.

Yes. A tornado that travels a kilometer would not be uncommon. Such a path length would be typical of a weak tornado. The more destructive tornadoes that get national or international coverage typically travel much further, sometimes dozens of kilometers and can be well over a kilometer wide, in rare cases several kilometers wide.