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One Response to “How do scuba divers use the laws and principles that describe the behavior of gases to their advantage?”

1. Bill Says:
   March 30th, 2010 at 3:38 pm

   Because a large volume of air can be compressed into a small volume cylinder, the use of Scuba Gear is popular to those that wish to go diving deep and, for an extended period, maybe for an hour or more depending on the amount of air compressed into the cylinder. The following is based mainly on the Inverse Pressure and Volume, Boyle’s Law

   At the surface, the atmospheric pressure is 1atm. Absolute or 14.7Psia.
   For every 34 feet (10m) of depth below the surface, the pressure increases by 1 atm.
   30 meters down the total pressure is 4atm. Absolute (58.8psi).
   The Air Regulator of the Scuba system keeps the supply to the diver at a pressure equal to the pressure the diver is at.
   His whole body including his blood system is at this pressure.
   His body system is therefore under a much higher pressure than at the surface.and the air in his blood system is the same.

   When the diver is returning to the surface, he must do so very slowly and breathe normally to allow his body to keep equalising with the decreasing pressure. If he comes up too fast, Nitrogen (and other gases), in solution in the blood forms bubbles in the blood and results in ‘The Bends’ as the bubbles collect in tissues and joints and build up pressure causing severe pain, cramps and even death. Divers, after long submergence, sometimes have to go into a ‘Decompression’ chamber to ensure all the high pressure dissolved gases have been eliminated

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