Cartesian Diver
Source Institutions
-
Twin Cities Public Television
Add to listGo to activity
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.
- Under 5 minutes
- 10 to 30 minutes
- 1 cent - $1 per group of students
- Ages 8 - 14
- Activity, Model
- English
Quick Guide
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
Subjects
- Earth and Space Science
- Earth Structure
- Oceans and Water
- Earth Structure
- Engineering and Technology
- Engineering
- Ocean Engineering
- Engineering
- Life Sciences
- Diversity of Life
- Animals
- Diversity of Life
- Physical Sciences
- Motion and Forces
- Gravity
- States of Matter
- Gases
- Structure and Properties of Matter
- Mass and Weight
- Volume and Density
- Motion and Forces
- The Nature of Science
- The Scientific Process
- About Inquiry
- Asking Questions
- Conducting Investigations
- The Scientific Process
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
