Final answer:
Tornadoes are severe weather phenomena that produce violent rotating funnel clouds with speeds up to 500 km/h, leading to significant destruction. They form from supercells, where a rotating column of air shifts from horizontal to vertical orientation. Tornadoes highlight the power of rotational motion in nature and the need for safety measures in prone areas like Tornado Alley.
Step-by-step explanation:
Tornadoes are intensely powerful storm systems characterized by their funnel-shaped clouds that spin violently. Descending from thunderclouds, these funnel clouds can produce wind speeds as high as 500 km/h, equivalent to about 300 mph. The strongest winds are found at the bottom of the tornado, where the funnel is most narrow, due to the conservation of angular momentum that causes the rotation speed to increase as the radius decreases. This intense rotation can be devastating, as tornadoes are capable of demolishing houses, picking up vehicles, and even driving straw into tree trunks.
The formation of a tornado is a spectacular display of rotational motion in action, often originating from a type of severe thunderstorm known as a supercell. Supercells contain a column of air that begins rotating around a horizontal axis due to differences in wind speeds at various altitudes. Eventually, this column shifts to rotate around a vertical axis, leading to the development of a tornado. The process by which tornadoes form and their destructive capabilities highlight the immense energy involved in severe weather systems and the importance of safety and preparedness during tornado season, particularly in regions such as Tornado Alley in the central United States.