Final answer:
According to Boyle's Law, the volume of the balloon when subjected to a pressure of 3 atmospheres is 0.67 liters. The volume inversely decreases as pressure increases, indicating the property of compressibility of gases.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking to find the new volume of a balloon when it is subjected to a pressure of 3 atmospheres underwater, given its original volume at sea level (1 atmosphere) is 2 liters. This scenario can be analyzed using Boyle's Law, which states that for a given mass of gas at constant temperature, the volume of the gas is inversely proportional to the pressure. Mathematically, Boyle's Law is expressed as P1 * V1 = P2 * V2, where P1 is the initial pressure, V1 is the initial volume, P2 is the final pressure, and V2 is the final volume.
To solve for the new volume (V2), we can rearrange the equation to V2 = (P1 * V1) / P2. By substituting the values P1 = 1 atm (the pressure at sea level), V1 = 2 liters (the initial volume), and P2 = 3 atm (the pressure the balloon is subjected to underwater), we get V2 = (1 atm * 2 L) / 3 atm = 0.67 liters, rounded to the nearest hundredth.
Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is A. 0.67 liters. This demonstrates the compressibility of gases under increased pressure; as the pressure on the balloon increases underwater, the volume of the balloon decreases accordingly.