Curated OER
Blowing Ballast
Oceanographers participate in a memorable hands on experience about buoyancy. They build a model of a submersible using a plastic bottle and a balloon. Afterward, they answer assessment questions. An answer key and some terrific...
Curated OER
Beneath the Sea
Students build a model of a submersible that will allow them to explore ballasts and how they operate. In this hands on lesson students participate in an activity that shows them how to control buoyancy.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Scientific American: Beneath the Sea: Blowing Ballast
Explore the use of ballast to manipulate buoyancy in submarines by building a model of a submersible using two-liter bottles and balloons. Describe the balance of forces that is responsible for the surfacing and diving of submersibles.