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PROCEDURE
- Stretch a balloon by inflating and deflating it about
a dozen times. If necessary, pull and stretch out the balloon
to make it more flexible.
- Obtain a length of plastic aquarium tubing. If you do
not have tubing, you can construct such a tube by connecting
straws. If you are using straws, secure them with waterproof,
sturdy tape, and make sure to place a bend in the straw
as shown above.
- Place the mouth of the balloon over one end of the straw/tubing.
Use a rubber band to secure the balloon to the straw/tube
end. Make sure that the rubber band does not squeeze off
the air passage.
- Insert the balloon into the 1-liter clear plastic beverage
container.
- Place the container in a large tank or tub of water. Let
the container fill with water. As it fills with water, the
container should sink. If it does not sink, add several
fishing weights until the water-filled container settles
to the bottom of the tank.
- Make a prediction. Suppose you blew a small puff of air
into the balloon. How would that change the buoyancy of
your "submersible"?
(Although any air would increase the upward force, a small
volume of air may not produce enough buoyancy to raise the
sub)
Suppose you inflated the balloon to a greater volume? Would
that offset the sub's weight?
(It depends upon the actual weight of the sub. Although
a larger volume of air would create a greater upward force,
you would still need to produce a counter force greater
than the weight of the container.)
Questions
- Why was it necessary to "pre-stretch" the balloon?
(The fabric had to be loose enough to expand when a less
powerful push of air was forced into it through the straw.)
- Why was it important to keep the air passageway unblocked?
(You needed an unobstructed path for the air to travel to
the balloon. Otherwise the balloon would not inflate.)
- What was the purpose of the fishing weights?
(The weights added an extra downward force that made the
submersible sink when the tank was not filled with air.)
- What happened when you blew into the open end of the straw/tube?
(Air moved down the tube and filled the balloon. As the
balloon filled with air, the craft became lighter until
it eventually floated to the surface.)
- Consider the balance of forces that are responsible for
the surfacing and diving of your classroom submersible.
How can you apply what you've learned to Alvin's operation?
(Like the classroom sub, Alvin's depth is determined
by the balance between its weight and buoyancy. But unlike
the classroom sub, and most other submersibles, Alvin has
a dual ballast system -- fixed and variable. First, fixed
steel ballast weights are used to sink the Alvin down to
just above the ocean floor. Then those weights are dropped
to halt Alvin's descent. Next, the variable ballast system
is used to finely adjust the sub's exact depth. Alvin's
variable ballast system pumps seawater into or out of tanks
to increase or decrease the sub's total weight, just like
a normal sub and the one in this activity. But then when
it's time to return to the surface, more fixed weights are
dropped, and the sub rises. Using fixed weights for descent
and ascent this way is very safe, because the weight release
mechanisms are simple, and can be operated by hand if necessary.
And using a variable system only for fine adjustments at
the bottom saves on precious battery power to run the seawater
pumps.)
EXTENSIONS
A Biological Connection
Some
species of seaweed have tiny air bladders that line their
stem-like parts. Think about it. What survival advantage might
these sacs of air offer?
(Like an air-filled ballast tank, the air sacs help keep
the stem-like parts afloat. Floating higher in the water exposes
them to more sunshine.)
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