The Physics Of Scuba Diving Swimming With free essay sample

The Physics Of Scuba Diving: Swimming With The Fish Essay, Research Paper The Physics Of Scuba Diving: Swimming with the Fish Have you of all time wondered what it would be like to swim with the fish and explore the submerged jungle that covers two-thirds of the Earth # 8217 ; s surface? I have ever been interested in H2O activities ; swimming, diving and skiing, and I felt that aqualung was for me. My first dive took topographic point while on a household holiday. I came across a honkytonk store offering introductory honkytonks, which instantly caught my involvement. After much convincing ( my parents ) , with my solemn confidence that I would be careful, I was allowed to take part in a honkytonk. I was ready, or so I thought. The slender rudimentss such as take a breathing were explained and I was literally tossed in. Sounds easy plenty, right! , good Incorrect! ! . From the minute I hit the H2O, my experience was much less than merriment. I rapidly sank to the underside into a new universe, with unfamiliar dangers. I truly wasn # 8217 ; T ready for this experience. I was disorientated, doing me to panic, which shortened the length of my honkytonk, non to advert my air supply. Let # 8217 ; s merely state I would non make that once more. To get down researching the submerged universe, one must foremost get the hang a few accomplishments. Certification is the first measure of larning to plunge. From qualified professionals one must larn how to utilize the equipment, safety safeguards, and the best topographic points to plunge. This paper is designed to assist give a general apprehension of the athletics and the importance that natural philosophies dramas in it. Self- contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, or SCUBA for short, is a snake pit of a batch of merriment. However, there is well more to Diving than merely seting on a wetsuit and strapping some compressed air onto 1s back. As I rapidly learned, plunging safely requires rather a spot more in footings of clip, attempt, and readying. When 1 goes underwater, a frogman is introduced to a new and unfamiliar universe, where many dangers exist, but can be avoided with proper lessons and understanding. With this cognition the H2O is ours to detect. The Evolution of Scuba Diving Divers have penetrated the oceans through the centuries for the intent of geting nutrient, seeking for hoarded wealth, transporting out military operations, executing scientific research and geographic expedition, and basking the aquatic environment. Bachrach ( 1982 ) identified the undermentioned five chief periods in the history of plunging which are presently in usage. Free ( or breath-hold ) diving, bell diving, surface support or helmet ( difficult chapeau ) diving, aqualung diving, and, impregnation diving or atmospheric diving ( Ketels, 4 ) SCUBA Diving The development of self-contained submerged external respiration setup provided the free traveling frogman with a portable air supply which, although finite in comparing with the limitless air supply available to the helmet frogman, allowed for mobility. Scuba diving is the most often used manner in recreational diving and, in assorted signifiers, is besides widely used to execute submerged work for military, scientific, and commercial intents. There were many stairss in the development of a successful self-contained underwater system. In 1808, Freiderich yon Drieberg invented a bellows-in-a-box device that was worn on the frogman # 8217 ; s back and delivered compressed air from the surface. This device, named Triton, did non really work but served to propose that compressed air could be used in diving, an thought ab initio conceived of by Halley in 1716. ( Ketels, 9 ) In 1865, two Gallic discoverers, Rouquayrol and Denayrouse, developed a suit that they described as # 8220 ; self-contained. # 8221 ; In fact, their suit was non self contained but consisted of a helmet-using surface-supported system that had an air reservoir that was carried on the frogman # 8217 ; s back and was sufficient to supply one external respiration rhythm on demand. The demand valve regulator was used with surface supply mostly because armored combat vehicles of equal strength were non yet available to handle air at high force per unit area. This system # 8217 ; s demand valve, which was automatically controlled, represented a major discovery because it permitted the frogman to have a breath of air when needed. The Rouquayrol and Denayrouse setup was described with singular truth in Jules Verne # 8217 ; s authoritative, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea, which was written in 1869, merely 4 old ages after the discoverers had made their device populace ( Ketels, 10 ) . Semi-Self-Contained Diving Suit The demand valve played a critical portion in the ulterior development of one signifier of scuba setup. In the 1920 # 8217 ; s, a Gallic naval officer, Captain Yves Le Prieur, began work on a self-contained air plunging setup that resulted in 1926 in the award of a patent, shared with his countryman Fernez. This device was a steel cylinder incorporating compressed air that was worn on the frogman # 8217 ; s back and had an air hose connected to a mouthpiece. The frogman wore a nose cartridge holder and airtight goggles that doubtless were protective and an assistance to vision but did non permit force per unit area equalisation. The major job with Le Prieur # 8217 ; s setup was the deficiency of a demand valve, which necessitated a uninterrupted flow ( and therefore waste ) of gas. In 1943, about 20 old ages after Fernez and Le Prieur patented their setup, two other Gallic discoverers, Emile Gagnan and Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, demonstrated their # 8220 ; Aqua Lung. # 8221 ; This setup used a demand consumption valve pulling from two or three cylinders, each containing over 2500 psig. Thus it was that the demand regulator, invented over 70 old ages before by Rouquayrol and Denayrouse and extensively used in air power, came into usage in a self-contained external respiration setup which did non emit a uneconomical flow of air during inspiration ( although it continued to lose exhaled gas into the H2O ) . This application made possible the development of modern open-circuit air scuba cogwheel ( Ketels,11 ) . In 1939, Dr. Christian Lambertsen began the development of a series of three patented signifiers of O rebreathing equipment for impersonal perkiness submerged swimming. This became the first self-contained underwater external respiration setup successfully used by a big figure of frogmans. The Lambertsen Amphibious Respiratory Unit ( LARU ) formed the footing for the constitution of U.S. military self-contained diving. This setup was designated aqualung ( for self- contained submerged take a breathing setup ) by its users. Equivalent self- contained setup was used by the military forces of Italy, the United States, and Great Britain during World War II and continues in active usage today. ( Ketels, 12 ) . A major development in respect to mobility in plunging occurred in France during the 1930 # 8217 ; s: Commander de Carlieu developed a set of swim fives, the first to be produced since Borelli designed a brace of claw-like fives in 1680. When used with Le Prieur # 8217 ; s armored combat vehicles, goggles, and nose cartridge holder, de Carlieu # 8217 ; s fives enabled frogmans to travel horizontally through the H2O like true swimmers, alternatively of being lowered vertically in a diving bell or in hard-hat cogwheel. The ulterior usage of a single-lens face mask, which allowed better visibleness every bit good as force per unit area equalisation, besides increased the comfort and deepness scope of plunging equipment ( Tillman, 27 ) . Therefore the development of aqualung added a major working tool to the systems available to frogmans. The new manner allowed frogmans greater freedom of motion and entree to greater deepnesss for extended times and required much less onerous support equipment. Scuba besides enriched the universe of athletics diving by allowing recreational frogmans to travel beyond goggles and breath-hold diving to more drawn-out honkytonks at greater deepnesss. The natural philosophies of Scuba Diving Upon come ining the submerged universe, one notices new and different esthesiss as one ventures into a kingdom where everything looks, sounds and feels different than it does above the H2O. These esthesiss are portion of what makes plunging so particular. Understanding why the underwater universe is different aids you adapt and become accustomed to the alterations. In the undermentioned pages I will try to explain two factors that greatly affect a frogman under H2O: perkiness and force per unit area. Have you of all time wondered why a big steel ocean line drive floats, but a little steel nail sinks? The reply is surprisingly simple. The steel hull of the ship is formed in a form that displaces much H2O. If the steel used to industry the ocean line drive were placed in the sea without being shaped into a big hull, it would drop like the nail. The ocean line drive demonstrates that whether an object floats depends non merely on its weight, but on how much H2O it displaces ( Ascher, 51 ) . The rule of perkiness can be simplified this manner: An object placed in H2O is buoyed up by the force equal to the weight of the measure of H2O it displaces. The rule of perkiness is that if an object displaces an sum of H2O weighing more than its ain weight, it will drift. If an object displaces an sum of H2O weighing less than its ain weight so it will drop. If an object displaces an sum of H2O equal to its ain weight it will neither float nor sink, but remain suspended. If an object floats, it is said to be positively floaty ; if it sinks, it is negatively floaty ; and if it neither floats nor sinks, it is neutrally floaty ( Kolezer, 16 ) . It is of import for a frogman to larn to utilize these rules of perkiness so that the frogman can effortlessly keep his/her place in the H2O. One must command perkiness carefully. When you are at the surface, you will desire to be positively floaty so that you could conserve energy while resting or swimming. Under H2O, you will desire to be neutrally floaty so that you are weightless and can remain off the underside and avoid suppression or damaging delicate corals and other aquatic life. Impersonal perkiness permits a frogman to travel freely in all waies ( Kolezer, 17 ) . Buoyancy control is one of the most of import accomplishments that a frogman could maestro, but it is besides one of the easiest. A frogman, controls his/her perkiness utilizing lead weight and a perkiness control device ( BCD ) . The lead weight, which is incorporated into a weight system, such as a weight belt is negatively buoyant. The BCD is a device that can be partly inflated or deflated to control perkiness ( Kolezer, 19 ) . Another factor that affects the perkiness of an object is the denseness of H2O. The denser the H2O, the greater the perkiness. Salt H2O ( due to its dissolved salts ) is more heavy than fresh H2O, so you # 8217 ; ll be more buoyant in salt H2O than in fresh H2O # 8211 ; in fact, when drifting motionless at the surface, most frogmans need to expire air from their lungs to drop. By expiring, the volume of the lungs is decreased, and less H2O is displaced, ensuing in less perkiness ( Kolezer, 19 ) . Therefore, we can see, that altering the volume of an object alterations its perkiness. Divers chiefly control perkiness by altering the volume of air in their BCD # 8217 ; s. Body air infinites and H2O force per unit area Although normally non noticeable, air is invariably exerting force per unit area on us. An illustration being every bit simplified as when walking against a strong air current, what is really felt its force forcing against our organic structure. This demonstrates that air can exercise force per unit area, or weight. One doesn # 8217 ; t normally experience the air # 8217 ; s force per unit area because our organic structure is chiefly liquid, administering the force per unit area every bit throughout our full organic structure. The few air infinites in our organic structure are- in the ears, fistulas and lungs- These are filled with air equal in force per unit area to the external air. However, when the environing air force per unit area alterations, such as when you alteration height by winging or driving through mountains, some of us can experience the alteration as a starting esthesis in our ears ( Tillman, 40 ) . Merely as air exerts force per unit area on us at the surface, H2O exerts force per unit area when a individual is submerged. Because H2O is much denser than air, force per unit area alterations under H2O occur more quickly, doing one more aware of them. The weight of the H2O above a individual greatly compounds the sum of force per unit area one ( ears, lungs, and the air in 1s lungs ) is under. While it takes the full tallness of the ambiance to incorporate a weight of air adequate to give 1 atmosphere ( 1 ATM ) of force per unit area ( the force per unit area one is used to be under as one walks around daily ) , it merely takes 33 ft. of H2O to do up an extra Standard atmosphere of force per unit area. Of class, the air is still there excessively, so at a deepness of 33 pess, a frogman is subjected to two Atmospheres of force per unit area, to the full twice what one is subjected to at the surface! ( Resneck, 53 ) A frogman would hold to travel truly, truly deep before being in any danger of really being crushed by force per unit area. It # 8217 ; s what the force per unit area does to the gases in your organic structure that can be unsafe. Physics Teachs us Boyle # 8217 ; s Law of gases, which suggests that the volume of a gas is relative to its force per unit area. Therefore, when 1 goes to a deepness of, say, 33 pess ( 1 excess ATM ) and fills 1s lungs with a breath of air from a armored combat vehicle and so go up to the surface without expiring, the air in the lungs would spread out to twice its volume, doing monolithic injury to the lungs. Other more elusive jobs occur with gas under force per unit area, such as the accretion of residuary N in the organic structure # 8217 ; s tissues which can ensue in Decompression Sickness ( DCS ) , normally known as the decompression sicknesss ( Tillman, 44 ) . As with air force per unit area, one doesn # 8217 ; t experience H2O force per unit area on most of 1s organic structure, but we can experience it in our organic structure # 8217 ; s air infinites. When H2O force per unit area alterations matching with a alteration in deepness, it creates a force per unit area esthesis one can feel. Through preparation and see a frogman will larn to avoid the jobs associated with H2O force per unit area and the air infinites in our organic structures. As antecedently me ntioned, force per unit area additions at a rate of one ambiance ( ATM ) for each extra 33 pess of deepness underwater. The entire force per unit area is twice every bit great at 33 pess than at the surface, three times as great at 66 pess, and so on. This force per unit area pushes in on flexible air infinites, compacting them and cut downing their volume. The decrease of the volume of the air infinites is proportional to the sum of force per unit area placed upon it. When the entire force per unit area doubles, the air volume is halved. When the force per unit area three-base hits, the volume is reduced to one tierce, and so on ( Tillman, 40 ) . The denseness of air in the air infinites is besides affected by force per unit area. As the volume of the air infinites is reduced due to compaction, the denseness of the air additions as it is squeezed into a smaller topographic point. No air is lost ; it is merely compressed. Air denseness is besides relative to coerce, so that when the entire force per unit area is doubled, the air denseness is doubled. When the force per unit area is tripled the air denseness three-base hits and so on. To keep an air infinite as its original volume when force per unit area is increased, more air must be added to the infinite. This is the construct of force per unit area equalisation, and the sum of air that must be added is relative to the force per unit area increased. Air within an air space expands as force per unit area is reduced. If no air has been added to the air infinite, the air will merely spread out to make full the original volume of the air infinite upon making the surface ( Ketels, 76 ) . If air has been added to an air infinite to equalise the force per unit area, this air will spread out as force per unit area is reduced during acclivity. The sum of enlargement is once more relative to the force per unit area. In an unfastened container, such as the pail, the spread outing air will merely bubble out of the gap, keeping it original volume during acclivity. In a closed flexible container, nevertheless, the volume will addition as the force per unit area is reduced. If the volume exceeds the capacity of the container, the container may be ruptured by the spread outing air ( Cramer, 51 ) . Now let # 8217 ; s take a expression at how the relationship between force per unit area volume and denseness affect a frogman while plunging. Previously it has been mentioned that air infinites are effected by alterations in force per unit area. The air spaces that a frogman is concerned about are both the natural 1s in your organic structure and those unnaturally created by have oning plunging equipment. The air infinites within a frogman # 8217 ; s organic structure that are most evidently affected by increasing force per unit area are found in the ears and fistulas. The unreal air infinites most affected by increasing force per unit area is the 1 created by a frogmans mask. During descent, H2O force per unit area additions and pushes in your organic structure # 8217 ; s air infinites, compacting them. If force per unit area within these air infinites is non kept in balance with this increasing H2O force per unit area, the esthesis of force per unit area physiques, going uncomfortable and perchance even painful as the frogman continues to descend. This esthesis is the consequence of a squeezing on the air infinites. A squeezing is non merely a scuba phenomena but may besides be experienced in a swimmers ears when plunging to the underside of a swimming pool. A squeezing, so is a force per unit area instability ensuing in a hurting or uncomfortableness in a organic structures air infinite. In this state of affairs, the instability is such that the force per unit area outside the air infinite is greater than the force per unit area inside ( Ketels, 76-77 ) . Squeezes are possible in several topographic points: ears, fistulas, dentitions, lungs and 1s mask. Fortunately, frogmans can easy avoid all these squeezings. To avoid uncomfortableness, force per unit area inside an air infinite must ever be the H2O force per unit area outside the air infinites. This is accomplished by adding air to the air infinites during descent, before uncomfortableness occurs. This is called equalisation. Compared to the ear and fistula air infinites, the lungs are big and flexible. As a aqualung frogman, one automatically equalizes the force per unit area in the lungs by continuously take a breathing from the scuba equipment. When you skin dive, keeping 1s breath, the lungs can be compressed with no effect every bit long as they are filled with air when 1 begins to descent. The lungs will be reduced in volume during nice and will re-expand during acclivity to about the original volume when 1 reaches the surface ( some of the air from the lungs is used to equalise the other organic structure air infinites ) ( Ketels, 78 ) . In a healthy frogman, barricading the nose and trying to gently blow through it with the oral cavity closed will direct air into the ear and fistula air infinites. Swallowing and jiggling the jaw from side to side may be an effectual equalisation technique. Some frogmans even attempt a combination of the old two methods. As mentioned antecedently along with squeezings, the lungs experience no harmful effects from the alterations in force per unit area when keeping 1s breath while tegument diving. At the start of the tegument honkytonk, one takes a breath and descends ; the increasing H2O force per unit area compresses the air in the lungs. During acclivity, the air re-expands so that when making the surface, the lungs return to their original volume ( Ketels, 78 ) . When aqualung diving, nevertheless, the state of affairs is different. Scuba equipment allows one to take a breath under H2O by automatically presenting the air at a force per unit area equal to the environing H2O force per unit area. This means the lungs will be at their normal volume while at deepness, full of air that will spread out on acclivity ( Cramer, 51 ) . If a frogman breaths usually, maintaining the air passage to you lungs open, the spread outing air flights during acclivity and your lungs remain at their normal volume. But, by keeping 1s breath and so barricading the air passage while go uping the lungs would over spread out, much like the certain bag. Expanding air can do lung over-pressurization ( lung rupture ) , the most serious hurt that can happen to a frogman. The most of import regulation in aqualung diving is to breath continuously and neer keep your Breath. Lung rupture will happen unless force per unit area is continuously equalized by take a breathing usually at all times ( Cramer, 52 ) . Other physical Phenomena # 8217 ; s As an air-breathing animal, we have evolved to populate on land. Above the H2O, we see, hear and travel approximately in a familiar and comfy mode that seems normal because we have adapted to an air environment. Under H2O, though, one enters a new universe, where seeing, hearing, remaining warm and traveling are different. This is because H2O is 800 times more dense than air, impacting visible radiation, sound and heat in ways that we aren # 8217 ; Ts used to. Sight visual perception is a large portion of what diving is all about. One dives for legion grounds. A primary intent is to see new environments, aquatic life and natural phenomena. Since submerged sight visual perception is of import, like purchasing a new camera, one must larn, how. Therefor when diving, one must cognize how the liquid environment affects vision. To see clearly under H2O, a mask is needed because the human oculus can non concentrate without any air infinite in forepart of it. A mask provides the air infinite. Without the mask, you can see big objects, but they will be blurred and indistinct because your eyes can non convey the beams of visible radiation into crisp focal point. Merely by have oning a mask can you see aggressively ( Ascher, 9 ) . Light travels at a different velocity in H2O than in air. When visible radiation enters the air in your mask from the H2O, the alteration in velocity causes its angle of travel to switch somewhat. This causes a brilliant consequence that makes objects under H2O appear 25 % larger and closer ( Ascher, 52 ) . Water has other effects on visible radiation. As you descend, there is less light. This is due to several facts: some light reflects off the H2O # 8217 ; s surface, some is scattered by atoms in the H2O, and some is absorbed by the H2O itself. However, H2O does non absorb light uniformly. White visible radiation, such as sunshine, is really composed of assorted colourss assorted together. The colourss are absorbed one by one as deepness additions: First ruddy, followed by orange and yellow. Since each colour is portion of the entire visible radiation come ining the H2O, less light remains as deepness additions and each colour is absorbed. For these ground, deeper H2O is darker and less colourful. To see true colourss, frogmans sometimes carry submerged visible radiations with them ( Resneck, 151 ) . Underwater Hearing The submerged universe is non a soundless universe. One can hear many new and interesting sounds, like snarling runt, grunting fish, and boat engines passing in the distance. Since sound travels farther in H2O than in air, one is able to hear things over much longer distances. Sound besides travels about four times faster in H2O than in air and because of this, one may hold problem finding the way a sound is coming from ( Cramer, 95 ) . Address is virtually impossible under H2O because 1s vocal cords do non work in a liquid environment, non to advert the add-on of the tubing in 1s mouth. Communication by sound is normally limited to pulling the attending of another frogman by knaping on the armored combat vehicle with a solid object, such as a knife. The frogman will hear the rapping, but may non be able to state where the sound is coming from. Heat loss in H2O. Diving Michigans being gratifying when the frogman gets cold. In fact, even a little loss of organic structure heat has the possible to be a serious wellness menace. For these grounds, understanding about heat loss is of import. In air, organic structure heat is lost as it rises from the tegument into the air, as it is carried off by air currents, or as sweat cools the tegument through vaporization. Water conducts heat away from your organic structure 20 times faster than air does, intending that for a given temperature, H2O has a far greater chilling consequence. Even apparently warm 86F H2O can go chilly after a piece ( Cramer, 91 ) . The loss of organic structure heat in H2O can rapidly take to a serious status unless you use insularity to cut down the heat loss. Insulation through the usage of exposure suits is recommended for plunging in H2O 75F or colder. Merely as one frocks harmonizing to the temperature and conditions to travel out-of-doorss, one must frock suitably for plunging. Gesture in H2O One of the best facets of diving is that it can be so restful. There # 8217 ; s small ground for travel rapidlying. By larning how to travel without shortness of breath, cramping or weariness, you learn to loosen up during a honkytonk. Due to the greater denseness of H2O, opposition to motion in H2O is much greater than in air. If you # 8217 ; ve of all time tried to run waist-deep H2O, you # 8217 ; ve experienced this. In get the better ofing this increased opposition while plunging, the best manner to conserve energy is to travel easy and steadily. Avoid rapid and jerked meat motions that waste energy. Simply take your clip. After all this is a athletics to bask. Decision Several months after my holiday, I decided to give aqualung plunging a 2nd opportunity. However, this clip I decided to make it right. I signed up to take a P.A.D.I. enfranchisement, which is one of the many internationally recognized scuba associations. It was here, in a decently structured class, consisting of both theoretical and practical ( in H2O ) Sessionss where I was decently re-introduced to the athletics. Since my introductory honkytonk from snake pit, I have had the opportunity to go rather the aqualung partisan. Partaking in legion honkytonks non merely in heater climes ( sooner ) but in the colder Montreal Waterss every bit good, scuba plunging has become portion of my life style. I participate in and bask every chance to re-visit the submerged universe that one time scared me off. In this paper, I included some history of the development of the athletics in order to indicate out that there is more to this peculiar athletics than leaping into the H2O. Scuba is a complex athletics and can non be enjoyed without some scientific cognition. Scuba plunging did non merely germinate, but it is the consequence of legion innovations and physical belongingss. One could merely conceive of the trouble that those historic frogmans ( scientists ) had in making this athletics. My nonsubjective in composing this paper was non to discourage people off from the athletics, but to emphasize the importance of the cognition that is required to decently and safely partake in it. Like everything else in life, one must work towards a end, and this is no different. One will rapidly see that the final payment is far greater than anything else of all time experienced. Recreational aqualung is meant to be a really gratifying and loosen uping athletics. The scenery is brilliant and the esthesiss are genuinely indefinable. Today, aqualung diving is rapidly going one of the spread outing trades. Whether for military, research, concern, or diversion, 100s of 1000s of people are heading for the deepnesss, to see the unknown. My advice for a new frogman is to make it right. Get the proper enfranchisement and do each honkytonk a safe one. When a frogman is to the full trained, and in good mental and physical status, safe diving can be one of the most gratifying of experiences. The true beauty of the submerged universe, coupled with the fantastic almost-weightlessness of drifting with impersonal perkiness is an indefinable experience. Bibliography/Further Reading Ascher, Scott M. Scuba Handbook for Humans. Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. 1975. Cramer, John L. Ph.D. Skin and Scuba Diving: Scientific Principles and Techniques. N.Y. : Bergwall Productions, Inc. 1975. Ketels, Henry A ; McDowell, Jack. Safe Skin and Scuba Diving, escapade in the submerged universe. Canada: Little, Brown and Company ( Canada ) Ltd. 1975. Koelzer, William. Scuba Diving, How to acquire started. Keystone state: Chilton Book Company. 1976. Resneck, John Jr. Scuba, Safe and Simple. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1975. Tillman, Albert A. Skin and Scuba Diving. Iowa: Wm. C. Brown Company Publishers. 1966.