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Water has density and weight. The deeper you dive the more water you have pushing against your body. Think of it like this young padawans: You place a book on your head, no big deal. For every foot that your imagination takes you deeper on a dive add one book. Is that stack of books getting heavy yet? Well if you imagined yourself diving to 130' (FSW) then that stack of books would have weighed in at 130' x .445lbsPerSqInch (book/foot) = 57.85 lbs. 130 being the depth of water in feet salt water (FSW), .445 being the weight of one foot of salt water (one book). The answer is the weight of water (books) measured over the area of one square inch. When you dive, you have the weight of all of the water over you, plus the weight of the earths atmosphere exerting pressure on you (the atmosphere is often neglected, but is of importance). The example of the books that I used is a little innaccurate though. In that example the weight is only being placed on one square inch of your head. In diving however, that force would exist over every square inch of a divers body. You can see how these numbers can add up, and you would think would severely limit the diver. However the body is primarily fluid which is not compressable. Those parts of the body which are compressable (Sinuses, Middle Ear, Respiratory tract, Lungs) are easily equalized with ambient pressure through training and or past experience. If you are wondering how I know what one foot of sea water weighs per square inc h, simply multiply .445lbs (one foot SeaH2o) times 144 (inches in a square foot)= 64 lbs which is the equivalent to the weight of one Cubic foot (ft3) of sea water.
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CoachWater pressure increases with depth due to the weight of the water above exerting force down onto the water below. The greater depth results in a larger column of water pressing down, leading to higher pressure levels. This increase in pressure is proportional to the depth underwater.
Because water isn't massless, and all the water above you is pushing down on you.
Read below only if you're still unsure:
Imagine a pile of rocks. The deeper you are, the more they squeeze you.
That explains the vertical squeeze. But why does the horizontal pressure increase as well? Because the rocks to your left and right are under more vertical pressure, so there is more force to push them aside, push them into you.
With water there is no friction so the pressure in all directions is equal. If you "squeeze" a fluid, it will try to expand back in all directions regardless of gravity. (But water does not squeeze very much.)
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What causes extra pressure when you dive deeper water in terms of particles?
As you dive deeper into water, the weight of the water above you increases, creating more pressure. This pressure is caused by the force of gravity acting on the water molecules above you. The deeper you go, the more particles there are pressing down on you, leading to a sensation of pressure on your body.
What happens to the air molecules in a divers lungs as the pressure increases during a dive?
As the diver descends deeper into the water, the pressure increases. This causes the air molecules in the diver's lungs to compress, leading to a decrease in volume. In order to maintain equilibrium with the increasing pressure, the air molecules in the lungs will be forced into smaller spaces, potentially causing discomfort or injury if not managed properly through controlled breathing techniques.
What is the difference between hydraulic pressure and hydrostatic pressure?
Hydrostatic pressure is the pressure of a "standing liquid" and hydraulic pressure is the pressure in a fluid system that is being acted on by a compressor or pump. Let's look more closely. Let's say we're on a boat on the ocean and we slide over the side and into the water. We can feel the water pressure on us. As we move deeper into the water, that is, we dive deeper, the hydrostatic pressure increases. If we took ping pong balls with us as we dove deeper, they'd eventually be crushed by hydrostatic pressure. The pressure can be looked at as the weight of the water column (due to its height) on whatever is submerged. In a hydraulic system, a pump pressurizes the system to some level set by the controller and the safety (pressure release) systems. Some systems operate at pressures that are out of sight because they are so high. The hydraulic pressure is "artificial" in that a pump created it, and hydrostatic pressure is "natural" and is created by the weight of the column of the liquid creating it.
How does fluid pressure change with depth?
Fluid pressure increases with depth in a fluid column due to the weight of the fluid above pushing down. The relationship between pressure and depth is described by Pascal's principle, which states that pressure in a fluid increases linearly with depth. This relationship can be expressed as P = ρgh, where P is pressure, ρ is density, g is gravitational acceleration, and h is depth.
Why do people that want to go deep underwater need a submarine or dive bell?
People need a submarine or dive bell to protect themselves from the immense pressure experienced at deep underwater levels. Submarines and dive bells are designed to withstand high pressures and provide a controlled environment for divers to safely explore these depths without risking injury or death.
