Cartesian Diver

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In this quick activity (page 1 of the PDF under SciGirls Activity: California Fish), learners will build a simple Cartesian Diver in an empty 2-liter bottle. Use this activity to demonstrate the principle of buoyancy, similar to the bladder system many fish rely on to move up and down in their watery environment. Relates to the linked video, DragonflyTV GPS: California Fish.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
10 to 30 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
1 cent - $1 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 8 - 14
Resource Types:
Activity, Model
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • an empty 2-liter soda bottle, with screw-top cap
  • water
  • a pen cap
  • small wad of clay
  • optional: fast food packets of mustard, ketchup, or mayonnaise

Keywords

Subjects

  • Earth and Space Science
    • Earth Structure
      • Oceans and Water
  • Engineering and Technology
    • Engineering
      • Ocean Engineering
  • Life Sciences
    • Diversity of Life
      • Animals
  • Physical Sciences
    • Motion and Forces
      • Gravity
    • States of Matter
      • Gases
    • Structure and Properties of Matter
      • Mass and Weight
      • Volume and Density
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • About Inquiry
      • Asking Questions
      • Conducting Investigations

Informal Categories

  • Animals
  • Food and Cooking
  • Nature and Environment

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Culture, ethnicity, and gender

  • Girls

    • Highlights STEM opportunities for this group
    • Identifies role models or mentors in STEM fields from this group
    • Uses inclusive images of people from this group

Other

Components that are part of this resource:

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Source Collection

  • DragonflyTV

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Twin Cities Public Television, Inc., 2006

Funding Source:

  • National Science Foundation, 436260