Calculating Pressure Underwater: How Does it Compare to Surface Pressure?

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SUMMARY

The pressure experienced by a diver underwater increases with depth, calculated using the formula that incorporates the weight density of water, which is 62.4 lb/ft³ or 1,000 kg/litre. At the ocean's surface, the pressure is 1 atm, equivalent to a column of 76 cm of mercury (Hg). To determine when the pressure is 10 times that of surface pressure, one must calculate the depth at which the water column's weight equals 10 atm, factoring in the incompressibility of water. This involves converting the height of the mercury column to an equivalent height of water.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of hydrostatic pressure principles
  • Knowledge of weight density calculations
  • Familiarity with units of pressure (atm, lb/ft³, kg/litre)
  • Basic grasp of fluid mechanics
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the hydrostatic pressure formula and its applications
  • Learn about the relationship between pressure, depth, and density in fluids
  • Explore the concept of incompressibility in liquids
  • Investigate the conversion between different units of pressure, particularly between atm and other units
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This discussion is beneficial for physics students, divers, engineers, and anyone interested in understanding the principles of pressure in fluids, particularly in underwater environments.

colonel
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I want to find when the pressure of a diver is 10X that when she is on the surface of the ocean. I know that at the surface, the diver experiences a pressure of 1 atm. But how do I go about finding the pressure under water? Do I have to consider the partial pressure of water?
 
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Its a piece of cake really. Air pressure is due to the weight of a column of air pushing down on you. Water pressure works the same way (though a little easier since water is essentially incompressible). So all you need to do is calculate the weight of that column of water at a specific depth. Its the volume times the density. (the weight density of water is 62.4 lb/ft^3)
 
But also the density of water is 1,000 kg/litre by definition. And 1 Atm = a column of 76 cm of Hg (Torricelli) with a density of 13,6 kg/l. Now, how high would that column be if the Hg was to be replaced by water?
 

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