Ocean exploration lab report—cartesian diver
procedure
fill the bowl about halfway with water. the first step will be making a cartesian diver that just barely floats. if you used
option 1: the ketchup or soy sauce condiment packet: test out a few packets to find one that just barely floats by a corner. a paper clip may be used to weigh it down if needed.
option 2: a medicine dropper: partially fill the dropper with water, so that it just slightly floats.
option 3: a pen cap and modeling clay or silly putty: use the clay or putty to trap air inside the pen cap and close the open side. you may have to experiment a bit with how much clay or putty to use to make the pen cap float.
fill the 2-liter bottle to the top with water, and gently place your cartesian diver inside. put the cap back on tightly.
make your hypothesis and identify the variables, and record them on your lab report. you will be applying pressure to the bottle and observing the effects on the diver. according to pascal's law, this pressure will be evenly distributed in the liquid. what will happen to the diver?
if the pressure increases, then the diver will (sink/float).
remember that the independent variable is the factor that you manipulate, and the dependent variable is what changes as a result.
hold the ruler or tape measure showing the centimeters, and place the 0 centimeter mark at the top of the water column. this way you can to measure from top of diver how deep your diver goes in centimeters. you can use a marker to mark the bottle or take notes in your lab report as you go.
squeeze the bottle to apply pressure and observe the diver. release the pressure on the bottle and observe the diver. try squeezing with a different amount of pressure. record your data on your lab report about your observations and the centimeter mark that the top of the diver reaches each time.
once you have made enough observations, clean up your lab materials and answer the conclusion questions on your lab report. write in complete sentences.