Help preparing for exam

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

So start with the General Gas Equation (P1xV1)/T1 = (P2xV2)/T2. Solving for V2 will give you V2= ((P1xV1)xT2) / (T1xP2) using metric units V2= (1.6 ATM x 4L x 277.4 K) / (302.4K x 2.77 ATM)= 2.12 L which is pretty close to D. Maybe there's some rounding off going on on my part and the freshwater to saltwater conversion I have for pressure may play into it (10.34 m/ATM). I don't have a great calculator. Here is a link that may be helpful. https://www.ehs.ucsb.edu/files/docs/ds/physics.pdf
 
Not to be a major jerk, but if the OP is so confused about temperature scales and how to use the gas laws, I think they need to spend more time studying the basics and less worrying about answering these specific questions. Just pounding through these to get answers won't be much help if/when they actually encounter gas planning problems in real life.
Yep, sorry, I don't want to sound like I am piling on, but I agree that these are science problems. You need to understand the underlying science/math. Or, you need some permanent wetnotes with enough notes and examples that you can find the right equations to plug numbers into to work out problems like these.

Question: do you recognize that 40 and 41 don't require a calculator to solve? Those can be solved with very basic "in your head math" if you are clear on the principles behind those questions. That might or might not be true for 44 also but I'd need paper and pencil to write that one out to know for sure.

If this isn't clear to you then your best bet might be to find a friend with a science background who can tutor you up a little on the physics and math here. I'd say that all of the replies here are accurate, but I'd understand if they are not helping you get to where you need to be.

BTW, the NOAA Physics of Diving doc (linked from my alma mater) referenced above has an example exactly analogous to 44 on page 2-14.
 
I may be stupid but I did a quick calculation on #44. I said to myself, "Self there is a 70' difference. That's about 2 atm difference. One atmosphere would half it to 2 liters. Another atmosphere would half it again to 1 liter. Allow a difference for the temp change. so guess answer a. Worst case, it's answer b." Then I said to myself, "Self, if you have to solve this problem before you can go have fun diving, then you need to find a new hobby."

Cheers -
 
studying for upcoming exam and I have run into a few questions I could use some help with! I don’t just need the answers but some help determining them! Any assistance would be great!


Are the answer choices listed for question #44 correct? I calculate 2.09 or 2.08 depending on how one rounds.

Here is my math:

P1 = 6.1M....(6.1/10)+1 = 1.61ATA
V1 = 4L
T1 = 29.4c....29.4 + 273K = 302.4K

P2 = 18.3M....(18.3/10)+1 = 2.83ATA
V2 = ???
T2 = 4.4c....4.4+273K = 277.4

(1.61) x (4) = (2.83) x (V2)
302.4................277.4

6.44 = (2.83) x (V2)
302.4.........277.4

6.44 (277.4) = (2.83) x (V2)
302.4

1786.456 = (2.83) x (V2)
302.4

5.9076 = (2.83) x (V2)

5.9076 = V2
2.83

2.087 = V2

V2 = 2.087L

-Z
 
40 and 41 you can answer with simple math and an understanding of the concepts (that is if I have the right answers :wink:). No complex equations needed

40. They keep this simple by keeping the info in pressure readings. So diver uses 30 psi a minute at the surface but this diver is at 90 feet so we need to know the rate at depth. For this we need the atm at 90. So divided 90 by 33 = 2.7 then add 1. That gives us 3.72 as atm at depth. Now multiple his surface rate by the atm at depth, 30 x 3.72 = 111 psi at 90 feet.

Next we need to know how much gas he used so 3000 starting pressure minus the ending pressure of 1000 = 2000 psi used.

Now just divide the 2000 psi used by his rate at depth 111. That gives answer d) 18 minutes.
 
Now to reason out 41.

To calculate the gas in any tank you just need the tank size, rated pressure and current pressure. In this case the tank is an 80, the rated psi 3000 and current pressure 2200.

First you need the “magic number.” This number is different for different size tanks and rated pressures. Instead of memorizing a list just remember how to calculate that number...divide the size by the rated pressure. In this case 80 divided by 3000 = .026

Now use this number to calculate the current gas volume 2200 x .026 = 58.6. So answer b) 59 cf
 
Now to reason out 41.

To calculate the gas in any tank you just need the tank size, rated pressure and current pressure. In this case the tank is an 80, the rated psi 3000 and current pressure 2200.

First you need the “magic number.” This number is different for different size tanks and rated pressures. Instead of memorizing a list just remember how to calculate that number...divide the size by the rated pressure. In this case 80 divided by 3000 = .026

Now use this number to calculate the current gas volume 2200 x .026 = 58.6. So answer b) 59 cf

I agree with your calculations and results but when computing the metric equivalent it does not hit on the number of liters indicated for answer "b"....it comes close...I just don't know what figures the exam writer used to come up with the calculations. Here is mine:

2265 = 10.942
207

10.942 x 152 = 1663.184

-Z
 
We need to use the "complete gas equation": p1 * V1 / T1 = p2 * V2 / T2
We want "v2", so rearrange : V2 = p1 * V1 * T2 / T1 * p2

The only "gotcha" here is that we need the temperatures to be specified in absolute units (Kelvin), so add 273.16. Also the pressures need to be in kilopascal, but since that's just bar * 100, we can ignore that as we are dividing the two pressures with each other.

Work out the pressures at depth (Fresh water has a density of 1m = 0.097bar - 3% lighter than salt water):
p1 = 1 + 6.1 * 0.097 = 1.592
p2 = 1 + 18.3 * 0.097 = 2.775

Work out the absolute temperatures:
T1 = 29.4 + 273.16 = 302.56
T2 = 4.4 + 273.16 = 277.56

Substitute in:
v2 = 4 * 1.592 * 277.56 / 302.56 * 2.775
= 1767.5 / 839.6
= 2.10l (which is close, but not precisely one of the accepted answers... hmm)


--> Ok, what did I do wrong here? I was expecting to get pretty much spot-on, unless the question was written in imperial and the conversions to metric are "iffy".

-----

The first step in Q40, is to determine the amount of usable air: 207-69 = 138bar

Next is to work out the consumption rate at 27m - simply multiply the SAC by the pressure: 2.07 * 3.7 = 7.66bar/min.
Last is dividing the usable air by the consumption rate to get the time - 138/7.66
= 18min.

You could also first convert SAC into litres/min as well as working out how many litres of air you have, but that's only useful if you want to plan another dive with a different sized tank.

----

Q41 is a simple ratio calculation.
2265 : 207 = ? : 152
? = 2265 / (207 / 152) = 1663.18 (~1665).

Or, to make more "sense" for scuba diving, you could work out the size of the cylinder first:
2265 / 207 = 10.942 (~11l)
Then work out how many litres of air you have at the new pressure:
10.942 * 152 = 1663.18 (~1665)

Hmm, again, since these don't work out "exactly" I'm wondering how precise the exam-supplied metric numbers are..

Do they work out better in imperial?

They do :) 59 cubic feet to be exact! I think I was so tired to realize it was a simple ratio lol! Thanks for your help :)
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom