Question

As SCUBA divers go deeper underwater, the pressure from the weight of all the water above them increases tremendously which compresses the gases in their blood. What happens to the volume of gas in their blood as the diver rises quickly to the surface?
A.
As a diver rises, the pressure on their body decreases which allows the volume of the gas to decrease.

B.
As a diver rises, the pressure on their body increases which allows the volume of the gas to decrease.

C.
As a diver rises, the pressure on their body decreases which allows the volume of the gas to increase.

D.
As a diver rises, the pressure on their body increases which allows the volume of the gas to increase.

Answer 1

Answer: A.

As a diver rises, the pressure on their body decreases which allows the volume of the gas to decrease.

Explanation:

The problem is that a diver, experiences an increased pressure of water compresses nitrogen and more of it dissolves into the body. Just as there is a natural nitrogen saturation point at the surface, there are saturation points under water. Those depend on the depth, the type of body tissue involved, and also how long a diver is exposed to the extra pressure. The deeper a diver go, the more nitrogen the body absorbs.

The problem is getting rid of the nitrogen once you ascend again. As the pressure diminishes, nitrogen starts dissolving out of the tissues of the diver's body, a process called "off-gassing." That results in tiny nitrogen bubbles that then get carried to the lungs and breathed out. However, if there is too much nitrogen and/or it is released too quickly, small bubbles can combine to form larger bubbles, and those can do damage to the body, anything from minor discomforts all the way to major problems and even death.