How Is Oxygen Partial Pressure Maintained in Deep Sea Diving?

  • Thread starter Thread starter clipperdude21
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Pressure
clipperdude21
Messages
48
Reaction score
0
1. A deep sea diver has descended a distance of 50m below the ocean surface. Asummer that he is supplied with air from the survace.
a) what is oxygen partial pressure in the lungs of the diver at this depth.
b) suppose we want the oxygen partial pressure in the lungs of the diver at this depth to be the same as that at the surface. This can be done by providing the diver with a mixutre of helium and air. Use Dalton;s Law to compute the proper mixing ratio in moles between helium and air and explain the mechanism.




Homework Equations





3. (a) I got this right I am pretty sure. I just did P=patm + pgh and got 605,700. Then multiplied it by 0.21 since oxygen is 21% of air and got 127,197 Pa.
(b) I couldn't do this one!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
It would be helpful if one showed the steps and units.

for part b. at the surface the pressure of air is 1 atm, 14.7 psia, or 101325 Pa, of which ~0.21 is oxygen.

What is the mixture of He/O2 such that the oxygen partial pressure is the same as the surface pressure when the diver is 50 m below the surface?
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
5K
Replies
4
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
4K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
11K
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
4K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
Replies
7
Views
8K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
Replies
2
Views
6K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K