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In the ocean, a sealed balloon filled with air that has a volume of 98 cubic centimeters will have what volume at 10 meters?

a. 98 cubic centimeters
b. Greater than 98 cubic centimeters
c. Less than 98 cubic centimeters
d. It depends on the temperature

1 Answer

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Final answer:

At a depth of 10 meters, the pressure increases to about 2 atmospheres. Due to Boyle's Law, the volume of a sealed balloon filled with air will decrease when submerged to this depth if temperature remains constant, meaning it will have a volume less than 98 cubic centimeters.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to the principles of gas laws, specifically Boyle's Law, which states that the volume of a gas is inversely proportional to its pressure, assuming that the temperature remains constant. In the ocean, the pressure increases by about 1 atmosphere for every 10 meters of depth. At 10 meters deep, the pressure is about 2 atmospheres. Since the balloon initially has a volume of 98 cubic centimeters at the surface, where the pressure is 1 atmosphere, at a depth of 10 meters the pressure would double, thus causing the volume of the balloon to decrease to maintain the same number of moles of air inside. This is due to Boyle's Law. So, if the temperature is constant, a sealed balloon filled with air that starts with a volume of 98 cubic centimeters at the surface will have a volume less than 98 cubic centimeters at 10 meters depth.

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