How Does the Volume of a Diver's Exhaled Bubble Change from Deep Sea to Surface?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the behavior of a diver's exhaled air bubble as it rises from a depth of 25 meters to the surface of the sea. The problem involves concepts from fluid mechanics and thermodynamics, specifically relating to pressure changes and gas laws under varying conditions of temperature and depth.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to calculate the pressure at a depth of 25 meters and subsequently the volume of the bubble at the surface using the ideal gas law. Some participants question the appropriateness of the pressure equation used and whether the calculations align with the principles of gas behavior.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants providing feedback on the original poster's approach and calculations. Some guidance has been offered regarding the use of the ideal gas law and the pressure calculation, but there remains uncertainty about the methods applied and their correctness.

Contextual Notes

Participants are navigating assumptions related to the ideal gas law and the impact of pressure changes on gas volume as the bubble ascends. There is a noted concern about the validity of the pressure equation used at depths below the surface.

latitude
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Homework Statement


Well, I did get an answer to this, but I don't think I did it right. It kinda seems wrong to me, so I wanted a second opinion :)

At 25 m below the surface of the sea (Density = 1025 kg/m^3), where the temperature is 5 degrees Celsius, a diver exhales an air bubble having a volume of 1 cm^3. If the surface temp of the sea is 20 degrees Celsius, what is the volume of the bubble just before it breaks the surface?


Homework Equations


Ideal gas: PV = nRT
P = Po + (DENSITY)gh ??Not sure if I should use this??


The Attempt at a Solution



P = Po + Density(g)(h) = 1.013 x 10^5 Pa + (1025)(9.81)(25)
P = 3.5 x 10^5 Pa (This seems fairly logical to me... kinda? But I'm not very logical :P)

Under the sea
(3.5 x 10^5)(0.01 m^3) = n(3.814)(278 degrees K)
n = 3.3
At surface
(1.013 x 10^5)(V) = (3.3)(3.814)(293)
V = 0.036 m^3, or 3.6 cm^3... that's fairly reasonable, isn't it?? But I'm not sure if using the P = Po + density(g)(h) was all right when the height is below the sea like that ??
 
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You can use pv=nRT remember that 'nR' isconstant.
Then you just need to find the pressure at 25m underwater, p = density * g * h
 
Forgive me if I sound dense (I may very well be!) but isn't that kind of what I did? If it's been smart enough to note they were constant, I could have done it with less work
 
latitude said:
But I'm not sure if using the P = Po + density(g)(h) was all right when the height is below the sea like that ??

Looks OK to me.
 

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