For divers, the pressure experienced increases as the depth of the dive increases. Since the product of pressure and volume for a gas are a constant, the volume decreases proportionately as the pressure increases.
1 atmosphere
English Units
Metric Units
as height of mercury
29.9 inches
760 mm
as weight per area
14.7 pounds per square inch
1 kg per square cm
as depth in seawater
33 feet
10.06 meters
as depth in fresh water
34 feet
10.36 meters
According to Boyle's law, for constant temperature, the (pressure) * (volume of gas) is constant. A volume of gas on the water surface will have a volume underwater:
volume at depth =
= (volume at water surface under 1 atmosphere pressure) / (number of atmospheres pressure experienced at depth)
volume at water surface under 1 atmosphere pressure =
= (volume at depth) * (number of atmospheres pressure experienced at depth)
Limitations:
• This assumes constant temperature, but temperature at depth is often different from surface temperatures.
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