Question

Explain how the volume of the bubbles exhausted by a scuba diver ( Figure 9.6 ) change as they rise to the surface, assuming that they remain intact.

Short answer

The volume of bubbles expelled rises as the scuba diver swims closer to the surface.

Step-by-step solution

Define volume

A substance's volume is the amount of space it takes up, whereas its mass is the quantity of stuff it contains.

Explanation

The ideal gas law has the following equation,

$\frac{{\mathrm{p}}_1{\mathrm{V}}_1}{{\mathrm{T}}_1}=\frac{{\mathrm{p}}_2{\mathrm{V}}_2}{{\mathrm{T}}_2}$

The pressure lowers when a scuba diver swims closer to the surface due to the reduction in depth. We may assume a constant temperature of roughly $4^{\circ }\mathrm{C}$.

As a result, if the temperature remains constant, we may use Boyle's law, which stipulates that $\mathrm{p}\times \mathrm{V}$ remains constant at constant temperature.

Therefore, the pressure and volume are inversely connected, with a drop in pressure resulting in an increase in volume. Knowing this, we may deduce that the volume of bubbles expelled rises as the scuba diver dives closer to the surface.