Flame Tornado and Water Jug Race

A paper towel is soaked in lighter fluid and ignited, producing a 15–20 cm high flame. When this is placed on a screened-in Lazy Susan, and slowly spun, the flame is spontaneously transformed into a roaring meter-high pillar of fire. In the second demonstration, students are invited to participate in a race—who can empty their jug of water the fastest? They soon find out that gravity is not the only force that can help them! Two seemingly unrelated activities—or are they?