College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
2B40.30 - Cartesian Diver
Periodically the balloon in the large Cartesian Diver will need to be changed. This is done by removing the top of the apparatus and pulling on the string that is attached to the balloon. Water will also need to be added to the unit before each use.
Fill the eye dropper with enough water so that it just barely floats. Fill the plastic bottle so that there is no air in it when the lid is screwed on. Make sure the lid is on very tightly. Squeezing the bottle should make the diver sink.
- Bruce J. Ackerson, "Cartesian Diver Plus", TPT, Vol. 58, #2, Feb. 2020, p. 84.
- Hasan Fakhruddin, "… And Now a Suspended Cartesian Diver", TPT, Vol. 49, #1, Jan. 2011, p. 58.
- J. Güémez, C. Fiolhais, and M. Fiolhais, "A Demonstration Apparatus for the Cartesian Diver", TPT, Vol. 41, #8, Nov. 2003, p. 495.
- D. Rae Carpenter Jr., "Another Diver/Riser", TPT, Vol. 41, #3, Mar. 2003, p. 133.
- Hasan Fakhruddin, "Cartesian Diver and Riser", TPT, Vol. 41, #1, Jan 2003, p. 53.
- Eric Muller, "Condiment Diver", TPT, Vol. 34, #5, May 1996, p. 296.
- Robert M. Graham, "An Extremely Sensitive Cartesian Diver", TPT, Vol. 32, #3, Mar. 1994, p. 182.
- Ronald M. Cosby and Douglas E. Petry, "Simple Buoyancy Demonstrations Using Saltwater", TPT, Vol. 27, #7, Oct. 1989, p. 550.
- Terry Ragsdale, "Cartesian Diver", TPT, Vol. 27, #4, Apr. 1989, p. 306.
- R. B. Knollenberg III, "An Automated Cartesian Diver Apparatus", TPT, Vol. 27, #1, Jan. 1989, p. 51.
- Ann Brandon, "A Beautiful Cartesian Diver", TPT, Vol. 20, #7, Oct. 1982, p. 482.
- Edward V. Lee, "Cartesian Diver with Pressure Head", TPT, Vol. 19, #6, Sept. 1981, p. 416.
- Haym Kruglak, "The Rising Cartesian Diver", TPT, Vol. 13, #2, Feb. 1975, p. 68.
- Robert N. Jones, "The Cartesian Diver", TPT, Vol. 11, #6, Sept. 1973, p. 345, also A Potpourri of Physics Teaching Ideas - Heat and Fluids, p. 121.
- J. Güémez, C. Fiolhais, and M. Fiolhais, "The Cartesian Diver and the Fold Catastrophe", AJP, Vol. 70, #7, July 2002, p. 710.
- Sheng-Ping He, Se-Yuen Mak, and Eqing Zhu, "Depth Dependent Cartesian Divers", AJP, Vol. 61, #10, Oct. 1993, p. 938.
- Raymond C. Turner, "Toys in Physics Teaching: Cartesian Diver", AJP, Vol. 51, #5, May 1983, p. 475.
- R. L. Wild, "Ultimate Cartesian Diver Set", AJP, Vol. 49, #12, Dec. 1981, p. 1185.
- William A. Butler, "Reverse Cartesian Diver 'Trick'", AJP, Vol. 49, #1, Jan. 1981, p. 92.
- Lawrence P. Orwig, "Cartesian Diver 'Tricks'", AJP, Vol. 48, #4, April 1980, p. 320.
- G. Planinšič, M. Kos, and R. Jerman, "Two-Liquid Cartesian Diver", Physics Education, Vol. 39, #1, Jan. 2004, p. 58.
- Roger Key, "Cartesian Diver", PIRA Newletter, Vol. 9, No. 2, Nov. 1994, p. 15.
- "F-120. Pepsi-Diver and Windex-Climber", DICK and RAE Physics Demo Notebook, 1993.
- G. D. Freier and F. J. Anderson, "Fg- 6", A Demonstration Handbook for Physics.
- George M. Hopkins, "The Cartesian Diver", Experimental Science, p. 83.
- A. D. Bulman, "The Cartesian Diver, Model-Making for Physics, p. 70.
- Carson I. A. Ritchie, "The Cartesian Diver", Making Scientific Toys, p. 162.
- Jodi and Roy McCullough, "Density and Pressure with a Cartesian Diver", The Role of Toys in Teaching Physics, p. 4.124.
- Martin Gardner, "Cartesian Matches", Science Tricks, p. 7.
- Martin Gardner, "Mysterious Match Heads", Entertaining Science Experiments with Everyday Objects, p. 113.
- Vicki Cobb and Kathy Darling, "Cork Screwy", Bet You Can!, p. 67.
- "The Diving Bottle", The Boy Scientist, p. 154.
- Janice VanCleave, "3. The Diver", Teaching the Fun of Physics, p. 12.
- Janice VanCleave, "Sinker", 201 Awesome, Magical, Bizarre, & Incredible Experiments, p. 49.
- Janice VanCleave, "94. Weight Loss", Earth Science for Every Kid: 101 Easy Experiments That Really Work.
- Robert Ehrlich, "H.1. Cartesian Diver", Turning the World Inside Out and 174 Other Simple Physics Demonstrations, p. 96 - 97.
- Haym Kruglak, "Cartesian Divers Designed by Pupils", School Science and Mathematics p. 141.
- Ron Hipschman, "Descartes' Diver", Exploratorium Cookbook III, p. 135-1 - 135-4.
- Harvard Instructional Physics Labs, "Fluid Statics- Swim Bladder Neutral Buoyancy", https://sites.fas.harvard.edu/~scphys/
- "Eye Dropper Cartesian Diver", Soda Bottle Science, Steve Spangler Science.
- Brian Jones and Matt Fackelman, "Cartesian Diver", Don't Forget the Duct Tape! - The How and Why of the Experiments of the Little Shop of Physics - A Work in Progress, p. 17.
- Brian Carusella, "Cartesian Diver", Bizarre Labs © 1997, http://bizarrelabs.com/cartesian.htm
- Bobby Mercer, "Ketchup Diver", Junk Drawer Physics, p. 179.
- Tik L. Liem, "The Magnetic Finger", Invitations to Science Inquiry - Supplement to 1st and 2nd Ed. p. 40.
- Julius Sumner Miller, Q159 & A159, Millergrams II – Some More Enchanting Questions for Enquiring Minds, p. 35 & 93.
- Julius Sumner Miller, Q195 & A195, Millergrams II – Some More Enchanting Questions for Enquiring Minds, p. 54 & 106.
- Joseph Frick, "#85 - The Cartesian Devil", Physical Technics: Or, Practical Instructions for Making Experiments in Physics and the Construction of Physical Apparatus with the Most Limited Means", p. 93.
Disclaimer: These demonstrations are provided only for illustrative use by persons affiliated with The University of Iowa and only under the direction of a trained instructor or physicist. The University of Iowa is not responsible for demonstrations performed by those using their own equipment or who choose to use this reference material for their own purpose. The demonstrations included here are within the public domain and can be found in materials contained in libraries, bookstores, and through electronic sources. Performing all or any portion of any of these demonstrations, with or without revisions not depicted here entails inherent risks. These risks include, without limitation, bodily injury (and possibly death), including risks to health that may be temporary or permanent and that may exacerbate a pre-existing medical condition; and property loss or damage. Anyone performing any part of these demonstrations, even with revisions, knowingly and voluntarily assumes all risks associated with them.