Cartesian Diver Experiment: How Water Displacement and Air Pressure Work #3698634 (License: Personal Use)

This illustration depicts the sequential stages of the Cartesian diver experiment, where a small glass tube (diver) is placed in a sealed bottle partially filled with water. As external pressure changes-here simulated by heating air with a candle-the diver sinks or rises due to compression and expansion of trapped air. The diagram clearly shows water levels, air columns, and the diver’s position at each phase.

Used in educational science websites, classroom lesson plans, and STEM outreach materials to visually explain principles of buoyancy, gas laws, and fluid dynamics; matches user intent for learning or teaching basic physics experiments.