Cartesian Diver: Diving into Pressure and Buoyancy
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Standard I (Physical Science): Understand the structure and properties of matter, the characteristics of energy, and the interactions between matter and energy.
Performance Objective: Students will discover relationships between pressure, air volume, density, water displacement and buoyancy in a floating eyedropper.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Demonstration: The teacher will demonstrate or give examples of real life events as she describes the following terms:
· Pressure: A force distributed over an area that acts equally in all directions, and increases with depth.
· Compressibility: If you squeeze both air and water, only air compresses to a significantly smaller volume.
· Density: How much mass (stuff) a substance contains per unit volume.
· Displacement: The volume of water pushed aside when you immerse an object.
· Buoyancy: An upward push on objects immersed in water, equal to the weight of the water displaced
Activity: In this activity, students will learn about buoyancy.
Materials:
Safety Considerations: No horseplay; avoid spills; read all instructions and follow directions.
Procedure: Students will work in pairs, gather materials and follow the directions on the worksheet.
.
Standard I (Physical Science): Understand the structure and properties of matter, the characteristics of energy, and the interactions between matter and energy.
Performance Objective: Students will discover relationships between pressure, air volume, density, water displacement and buoyancy in a floating eyedropper.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Demonstration: The teacher will demonstrate or give examples of real life events as she describes the following terms:
· Pressure: A force distributed over an area that acts equally in all directions, and increases with depth.
· Compressibility: If you squeeze both air and water, only air compresses to a significantly smaller volume.
· Density: How much mass (stuff) a substance contains per unit volume.
· Displacement: The volume of water pushed aside when you immerse an object.
· Buoyancy: An upward push on objects immersed in water, equal to the weight of the water displaced
Activity: In this activity, students will learn about buoyancy.
Materials:
- A 2-liter plastic beverage bottle with airtight lid
- Water
- An eyedropper with a glass barrel
- Paper towels or sponge to mop up messes.
Safety Considerations: No horseplay; avoid spills; read all instructions and follow directions.
Procedure: Students will work in pairs, gather materials and follow the directions on the worksheet.
.
Effective Question:
Challenge Question: Can you sink an empty eyedropper without touching it? Why or why not?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
Analyze and Conclude: In your own words, explain how your Cartesian Diver worked?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
(TOPScience.org, 2010)
Challenge Question: Can you sink an empty eyedropper without touching it? Why or why not?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
Analyze and Conclude: In your own words, explain how your Cartesian Diver worked?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
(TOPScience.org, 2010)