SCUBA DIV
ING
BY :
RE
I D F
RA
NK
S
SUMMARY
Diving was created to help hunt for food, repair ships and observe
marine life. Divers used to hold their breath while underwater, but
today we have compressed air tanks to breath. We must be cautious
of the hidden threat of decompression sickness.
SUMMARY
In the 18th century, Paul Bert from France and John Scott Haldane
from Scotland, studied the effects of water pressure on the body. They also helped design compressed air tanks for underwater diving.
As the diver goes deeper and deeper, in the water and the pressure increases,
nitrogen and other gases begin to diffuse into the body. Henry’s Law states the
solubility of gas in a liquid is directly proportional to the pressure of the gas
above the liquid.
CHEMISTRY
Depression Sickness
CHEMISTRY
When the diver begins to ascend to the surface and the pressure startsto decrease, the nitrogen and other gases in the body need to diffuse backout into the bloodstream and if they are forced to come out too quickly, bubbles will form in parts of the body and cause pain known as the bends.
CHEMISTRY
If the diver ascends slowly to the surface, the bubbles can safely be dissolved and leave the body. However, if the diver ascends too quickly and has decompression sickness, he or she must go to the hospital and be put in a hyperbaric chamber.
IMPLICTIONS
Divers must always be cautious and understand all the dangers of SCUBA diving.
WORKS CITED
The Physical Chemistry of SCUBA Diving with Compressed Air. New York: W.H.
Freeman and Company., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013. <http://www.chem.uwec.edu/Chem405_S01/peterson/scuba.htm>.
Inkling. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013. <https://www.inkling.com/read/ textbook-of-medical-physiology-guyton-hall-12th/chapter-44/effect-of-high-partial>.
Chemistry Daily. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013. <http://www.chemistrydaily.com/ chemistry/Decompression_sickness>.
Marinebio. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2013. <http://marinebio.org/oceans/scuba/index.asp>.
Marine Medical Systems. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.marinemedical.com/articles/diving.htm>.