Review the meanings of the words, mass, volume, and density, since they
are important in this activity.
Mass is
_____________________________________________________________________________
Volume is
___________________________________________________________________________
Density is
___________________________________________________________________________
Materials needed:
One three liter soda bottle, with label removed.
One glass dropper.
One beaker, deeper than the length of the dropper.
A waterproof marker
Water.
Directions:
1. Place marks, more or less evenly along the
tube of the dropper. (fig. 1)
2. Put water in the beaker until nearly
full.
3. Fill the dropper about half full with
water.
4. Place the dropper in the beaker.
5. If the dropper sinks, take a drop of water
out;
If the dropper floats
too high, add a drop of water.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until the dropper
just barely floats. (fig. 2)
7. Fill the soda bottle with water.
8. Place the dropper into the bottle without
squeezing it.
9. Put the cap on the bottle.
10. Squeeze the bottle gently, the diver should go
to
the bottom of the
bottle.
11. Release the bottle, and the diver should go to
the top.
12. Observe carefully as the diver goes up and down.
What changes do
you see?__________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
13. How do these changes effect the average density
of the dropper and the air and water it contains?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
14. Does the hardness of your squeeze have any
effect on the diver?
15. Can you squeeze and hold just enough that the
diver stops in the middle of the bottle?
16. Empty the bottle, clean up your lab station, and
return to your seat.
