Question

A scuba diver at the surface of the sea takes a deep breath and fills her lungs with 6 liters of air. The pressure in her lungs is 1 atm. She then dives down ten meters, without inhaling or exhaling, until the pressure of the air in her lungs is 2 atm. According to Boyle’s law, what happens to the air in her lungs as she dives down?
A. The temperature increases.
B. The volume increases.
C. The volume decreases.
D. The temperature decreases.

Answer 1

The answer is C. The volume decreases. A scuba diver at the surface of the sea takes a deep breath and fills her lungs with 6 liters of air. The pressure in her lungs is 1 atm. She then dives down ten meters, without inhaling or exhaling, until the pressure of the air in her lungs is 2 atm. According to Boyle’s law,  the air in her lungs decreases as she dives down.  Boyle's Law is the gas law which states that in a closed space, pressure and volume are inversely related. As pressure increases, volume decreases, and vice versa.