Question

Deep water scuba diving is enjoyed by many. To make this possible they will usually breathe compressed air (approximately 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen). However, Nitrogen is not cleared from the tissues quickly, so it accumulates and can come out of solution too rapidly causing decompression sickness that can lead to death. This is usually not an issue when the diver slowly rises to the surface pausing for periods of time every so often to adjust for pressure differences.

Which law best explains this?

Charles's Law
Henry's Law
Gay Lussac's law
Dalton's Law

Answer 1

Henry's Law explains the accumulation and release of nitrogen gas during scuba diving, leading to decompression sickness.

Step-by-step explanation:

The law that best explains the phenomenon described in the question is Henry's Law.

Henry's Law states that the amount of gas dissolved in a liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of the gas above the liquid. In the case of scuba diving, as the diver descends to greater depths, the pressure increases, causing more nitrogen gas from the compressed air to dissolve into the diver's tissues and blood.

When the diver ascends too quickly, the ambient pressure decreases, leading to the rapid release of nitrogen gas from the tissues, forming bubbles that can cause decompression sickness.