A scuba diver that ascends to the surface too quickly can experience decompressi

Question

A scuba diver that ascends to the surface too quickly can experience decompression sickness, which occurs when nitrogen that dissolves in the blood under high pressure, forms bubbles as the pressure decreases during the ascent. Therefore an understanding of the gas laws is an important part of a scuba diver's training. In fresh water the pressure increases by 1 atm every 34 ft below the water surface a diver descends. If a diver ascends quickly to the surface from a depth of 34 ft without exhaling, by what factor will the volume of the diver's lungs change upon arrival at the surface? Assume the atmospheric pressure at the surface of the water is 1 atm.

Explanation / Answer

Answer:-

The answer is given in the image,

For every 34 feet beloww the water surface pressure increases 1 atm.

so, let the volume of lungs at the depth = V1

And at the surface the volume = V2

The pressure at the depth = P1 = 1 + 1 = 2 atm

At the water surface, the pressure = P2 = 1 atm,

So, from the idweal gas law,

P1V1 = P2V2

2 x V1 = 1 x V2

V2 = 2V1

So, the voluime of diver's lungs changes by a factor of 2. Means becoms double.

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