Divers who go to great depths in the ocean experience large differences in pressure between the surface and their final destinations below the surface. At times, they have to avoid quick changes in pressure because of the effects on the solubility of nitrogen in their blood. If the solubility decreases quickly, then gas bubbles can form in the person’s blood, causing a dangerous condition called “the bends.”

Question

Divers who go to great depths in the ocean experience large differences in pressure between the surface and their final destinations below the surface. At times, they have to avoid quick changes in pressure because of the effects on the solubility of nitrogen in their blood. If the solubility decreases quickly, then gas bubbles can form in the person’s blood, causing a dangerous condition called “the bends.”

In two-five sentences, state whether you would expect the condition to be a greater hazard for divers as they dive down or as they return to the surface. Then, explain your prediction in terms of the solubility of gases in liquids at different pressures.

Answer 1

Returning to the surface would be a greater hazard for divers compared to diving down. This is because as divers ascend, the pressure decreases which causes the nitrogen gas that was previously dissolved in their blood at high pressures to come out of solution and form bubbles. This sudden decrease in pressure can lead to the formation of gas bubbles in the blood, causing the bends. On the other hand, as divers descend, the pressure increases which allows the nitrogen gas to dissolve more easily in their blood without causing bubbles to form.