Lesson Planet
Search educational resources
  • Sign In Try It Free
  • AI Teacher Tools
    • Discover Resources Search reviewed educational resources by keyword, subject, grade, type, and more
    • Curriculum Manager (My Content) Manage saved and uploaded resources and folders To Access the Curriculum Manager Sign In or Join Now
    • Browse Resource Directory Browse educational resources by subject and topic
    • Curriculum Calendar Explore curriculum resources by date
    • Lesson Planning Articles Timely and inspiring teaching ideas that you can apply in your classroom
    • Our Story
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
  • Pricing
  • School Access
    • Your school or district can sign up for Lesson Planet — with no cost to teachers
      Learn More
  • Sign In
  • Try It Free

Hi, what do you want to do?

Create a lesson plan
Create a lesson plan
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Find a teaching resource
Find a teaching resource
Serc: Cartesian Diver Race Lesson PlanSerc: Cartesian Diver Race Lesson Plan
Publisher
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Lesson Plan

Serc: Cartesian Diver Race

Curated by ACT

In this lab, students will have to build a Cartesian diver to bring to class to race. I do this as an introduction to the gas laws, specifically Boyle's Law which deals with volume and pressure of gas at the same temperature. The students bring in their cartesian diver and we have a bracketed tournament to see whose cartesian diver can beat the competitor to the bottom of a 5 gallon Culligan jug.

3 Views 3 Downloads
Concepts

boyle's law

Additional Tags

cartesian diver race, cartesian diver, serc
Show More Show Less

Resource Details

Grade
9th - 10th
Subjects
Science
2 more...
Resource Type
Lesson Plans
Audiences
For Administrator Use
1 more...
Lexile Measures
0L

See similar resources:

Activity

Buoyancy in Water

University of Waikato
Change where an object floats in water. Pupils experiment with a Cartesian diver by squeezing on the side of a plastic bottle. Learners pay attention to the bulb of the pipette as the bottle is squeezed to determine what is happening...
3rd - 12th Science
Unit Plan

Fluids: Force in Fluids

Anglophone School District
Discuss Archimedes' Principle and fluid forces with your young scientists as they describe the relationship between mass, volume, and density during a series of engaging activities. They use the Participle Theory of Matter to explore the...
7th - 9th Science
Activity

Cartesian Diver

Teach Engineering
Amaze your scholars with an activity that uses a Cartesian diver to demonstrate Pascal's Law, Archimedes' Principle, and the Ideal Gas Law. Groups then repeat the process and make their own diver move up and down in a bottle.
9th - 12th Science
CCSS: Designed
Activity

A Cartesian Diver—Classic Chemistry Experiments

Royal Society of Chemistry
Sometimes the simplest experiments leave the biggest impression! Introduce young chemists to the Cartesian Diver by having them make one of their own. Use the Diver to further their study of liquids and gases, as well as compression.
6th - 10th Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Activity

Teach Engineering: Cartesian Diver

TeachEngineering
Students observe Pascal's law, Archimedes' principle, and the ideal gas law as a Cartesian diver moves within a closed system.
9th - 10th Science
Activity

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Condiment Diver

Exploratorium
Use a condiment packet as a Cartesian diver to show how pressure changes cause the "diver" to float, sink or hover.
9th - 10th Science
Lesson Plan

Pressure, Density and Buoyancy

Curated OER
Students investigate how changing pressure affects density. In this physics lesson, students explain the relationship between density and pressure. They observe the Cartesian diver in the lab as pressure is changed inside.
9th - 12th Science
Lesson Plan

Condiment Diver

Curated OER
Students create a Cartesian diver out of a bottle of water and a condiment packet (soy sauce, ketchup, etc.) They observe what happens to the packet as they squeeze the bottle and determine which types of condiment packets make the best...
7th - 12th Science
Lesson Plan

Density Phenomena-Using the Concept of Density

Curated OER
Students investigate the concept of density by observing demonstrations. In this density lesson plan, students make observations while the teacher demonstrates the Cartesian diver, a density column, a candle trough, a wave bottle, an...
8th - 10th Science
Lesson Plan

Build Your Own Submarine

Curated OER
Students construct their own submarine following a certain procedure. In this physics lesson, students calculate the density of objects using a mathematical formula. They explain why some object floats in water while some do not.
9th - 12th Science
Try It Free
© 1999-2026 Learning Explorer, Inc.
Teacher Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Resources

Sign up for the Lesson Planet Monthly Newsletter

Open Educational Resources (OER)

  • Health
  • Language Arts
  • Languages
  • Math
  • Physical Education
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Visual and Performing Arts
View All Lesson Plans

Discover Resources

  • Our Review Process
  • How it Works
  • How to Search
  • Create a Collection

Manage Curriculum

  • Edit a Collection
  • Assign to Students
  • Manage My Content
Contact Us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Use