As a SCUBA diver descends below the water surface increasing her depth….?

Posted on Jun 29, 2009 under Scuba Regulator | 2 Comments

As a SCUBA diver descends below the water surface increasing her depth, she experiences increasing pressure. Recall that the job of a Scuba Regulator is to deliver air to the diver at the ambient pressure (that is, the pressure of the surrounding water at the diver’s current depth). If the diver is breathing air from her tank at a pressure of 4 atmospheres, what is her current depth?

If she is at 4 atmospheres of ambient pressure which includes the 1 atmosphere at the surface, then in salt water she would be at 99 feet but in fresh water
She would be at 2 atms at 33ft
3 atms at 66 ft
4 atms at 99 ft.

I she is in fresh water she would be at 102 feet because fresh water is less dense than salt water.
She would be at 2 atms at 34 ft
3 atms at 68 ft
4 atms at 102 ft.

Brad's helmet cam, scuba regulator

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2 Responses to “As a SCUBA diver descends below the water surface increasing her depth….?”

  1. Doug Says:
    June 30th, 2009 at 5:33 am

    Every 33 feet (10m) of salt water is another atm of pressure.
    Also at the surface, the diver is under 1 atm of pressure (from the atmosphere acting on the diver).

    1atm + (depth / 33) = 4
    depth / 33 = 4 – 1
    depth / 33 = 3
    depth = 3 * 33
    depth = 99 feet
    References :

  2. rjamason1@sbcglobal.net Says:
    June 30th, 2009 at 6:22 am

    If she is at 4 atmospheres of ambient pressure which includes the 1 atmosphere at the surface, then in salt water she would be at 99 feet but in fresh water
    She would be at 2 atms at 33ft
    3 atms at 66 ft
    4 atms at 99 ft.

    I she is in fresh water she would be at 102 feet because fresh water is less dense than salt water.
    She would be at 2 atms at 34 ft
    3 atms at 68 ft
    4 atms at 102 ft.
    References :
    Scuba instructor for http://www.visibilityunlimited.com

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