Question

Explain the processes that develop tornados. Be sure to include to highlight the physics of the phenomenon.

Answer 1

When a surface of the earth gets warmed up by the sun, the air near it becomes hotter and lighter, due to which it rises up and forms cloud. When the density of the air increases, it becomes a thunderstorm. The colder air surrounding it rushes in to take the vacant place, forming a horizontal wind. As more and more warm air rises up, the horizontal wind strikes this warm air vertically, giving it a torque due to which its angular momentum increases as it starts swirling. Soon, its swirling speed increases, forming a vortex (funnel shape). As more and more air gets added up into this vortex, finally this funnel of swirling air touches the ground and forms a tornado.

The physics in the formation is that a torque acts on the warm, rising air, giving it a twisting motion and gradually increasing its angular momentum.