PADI - Professional Association of Diving Instructors Diving Physics and Gas Laws Questions and Answers

Question 1

According to Boyle's Law, if a flexible container with 6 liters of air at the surface (1 ATA) is taken to a depth of 20 meters (3 ATA), what will its new volume be?

Accepted Answer

2 liters

Answer

4 liters

Answer

3 liters

Answer

1.5 liters

Question 2

A diver is using a standard air tank (approximately 21% oxygen, 79% nitrogen) at a depth of 30 meters where the ambient pressure is 4 ATA. What is the partial pressure of nitrogen (PN2) at this depth?

Accepted Answer

3.16 ATA

Answer

0.84 ATA

Answer

4.00 ATA

Answer

0.79 ATA

Question 3

Which of the following gas laws is most directly related to the risk of decompression sickness and explains why inert gases like nitrogen are absorbed into a diver's tissues at depth?

Accepted Answer

Henry's Law

Answer

Boyle's Law

Answer

Charles's Law

Answer

Archimedes' Principle

Question 4

A diver notices that their submersible pressure gauge (SPG) reads a lower pressure after their tank, which was filled in a warm room, has been submerged in cold water for a while before the dive. This phenomenon is best explained by:

Accepted Answer

Charles's Law

Answer

Dalton's Law

Answer

Boyle's Law

Answer

Henry's Law

Question 5

To achieve neutral buoyancy, a diver adds or removes air from their Buoyancy Compensator (BC). This action directly applies which physical principle?

Accepted Answer

Archimedes' Principle

Answer

Boyle's Law

Answer

Pascal's Law

Answer

Dalton's Law

Question 6

The most important rule in scuba diving is to never hold your breath. This rule is a direct consequence of which gas law, as it relates to the risk of lung overexpansion injury during ascent?

Accepted Answer

Boyle's Law

Answer

Henry's Law

Answer

Dalton's Law

Answer

Charles's Law