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How do scuba divers sink if they have tanks of compressed air on their backs?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
The average aluminum Scuba cylinder holds 80 cubic feet of air at pressure. That means you are taking the equivalent of a closet's worth of air and smashing it into a cylinder much smaller than that. When full, the cylinder is at 3,000 pounds per square inch of pressure.
When the valve is opened, it sends air into the (assumed) first stage regulator which is connected by hoses to gear such as two second stage regulators, instruments and your vest.
So the SCUBA tanks don't so much USE the air so much as STORE the air at high pressures.
Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
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Scuba tanks have wh at noble gas in them?
Some advanced divers dive using gas mixtures including Helium.
Why is nitrogen added to scuba tanks?
The same reason every other gas in a scuba cylinder is compressed. If a cylinder is pressurized, then the gas in it is compressed by definition. If it is not pressurized, then there is obviously no gas in the cylinder to breath.
Why should a filled scuba tank never be left in a hot car for an extended period of time?
Worst case scenario, the cylinder threads fail, shooting the valve off. If the cylinder was laying on its side, it would turn into a rocket. It would have enough force to EASILY go through a concrete wall, and start going through another (thank you Mythbusters!).Keep in mind, an 80 cu ft. SCUBA cylinder filled to 3,000 psi of compressed air, has 1.3 MILLION foot-pounds of kinetic energy. I, for one, do not want to be around it when it is all released at once. A: Far more likely, the Burst Disk would rupture and make a hell of a noise. Burst Disks are small copper-foil (or similar) sheets that are intended to break and vent air when and if the tank over-pressurizes. They're noisy but harmless. =====Ah, a very good point. I was thinking worst case scenario ... old tank that didn't have the burst disk. I should mention that for this to happen, the scuba tank would be well out of certification (both annual visual inspection and five-year hydrostatic testing). Most modern scuba tanks do have these burst disks that are designed just for this purpose. In fact, it's difficult to get the parts to service the older style scuba tanks anymore.
What is the purpose of an oxygen tank?
Oxygen tanks are made to hold oxygen in a compressed, gaseous form so it can be available when needed for medical or industrial uses.
How can the effects of changes in atmospheric pressure be reduced?
Mountaineers often take oxygen tanks when they climb high mountains such as Everest. The tanks contain oxygen gas that has been compressed into small volume. This can help reduce the effect of atmospheric pressure
Mixture of gases for scuba diving tanks compared to normal atmospheric air?
Most SCUBA divers dive with compressed air, which is normal atmospheric air compressed into a scuba tank.
If there is no oxygen on the moon then how does the man in the moon breathe?
By oxygen tanks - similar to SCUBA divers.
Are scuba tanks hydraulic or pneumatic?
SCUBA tanks are metal (usually steel or aluminum) that are filled with compressed air. This is loosely related to a pneumatic system.
Would a scuba divers tank filled with compressed air last longer than normal pressure air?
It definitely would. Also, a tank filled with non-compressed air would be nearly impossible to use because air wouldn't flow out of it without an enormous amount of effort. For these reasons, all tanks used by divers are filled with compressed air.
Scuba tanks have wh at noble gas in them?
Some advanced divers dive using gas mixtures including Helium.
Why do scuba divers need to bring oxygen tanks while fishes do not?
Because fish have gills and can breathe under water and humans do not
Why does a scuba diver need increased gas in the air tank?
Scuba divers require increased air pressures in their air tanks while diving because the pressure on their bodies increases.
Why is it important to use a strong material when making an air tank used by scuba divers for swimming deep below the ocean?
Depth doesn't really make any difference, but scuba tanks need to be made of strong materials because they are going to be filled with gases which are compressed to 200 times atmospheric pressure or greater. Unless they are strong, they would explode.
Why only oxygen is not used in tanks of scuba divers?
Naturally the air we breath has 70% of nitrogen and only 21% of oxygen, this is done is scuba diving as well. Just oxygen is not enough for living, while oxygen is essential one.
How do scuba divers refill their air tanks?
They either go to a dive shop or have their own compressors. An average 80 ci tank costs roughly $5usd to fill
How do scuba divers alter their average density to float?
Divers usually increase their density by wearing a weight belt (which contains lead weights). Some divers also rely, to a lesser degree, on using steel tanks, which are more dense than aluminum tanks. To decrease their density, divers put air into a Bouyancy Control Device (BCD). Some divers may also control bouyancy by putting air into a drysuit if they wear one. Whereas the increase in density created by the weightbelt is normally fixed, the positive bouyancy provided by the BCD can be varied throughout the dive. Usually a divers net density will decrease over the dive - a diver with a full scuba tank has about 4.5 lbs of extra weight (the weight of the gas) over a diver with an empty scuba tank.
How much do scuba diving regulators weigh?
For bouyancy calculations, most regulators are assumed to weigh about 4 lbs. For recreational divers, they only carry one regulator, but technical divers may carry four (or more!) regulators on their doubles and various stage tanks.
