Activity

Descartes' Diver

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Pique interest in water pressure, demonstrate buoyancy, and explore water displacement concepts with a homemade Cartesian diver. You may want to change the name of the toy, however, as is is not documented the Rene Descartes actually designed it! Nevertheless, it is fun to make and shows how pressure is distributed throughout the entire fluid. Use it in a physical science or oceanography unit.

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Pros
  • An alluring activity that exhibits several physical science principles
  • Offers an age-appropriate explanation of concepts
Cons
  • None