University of Alaska Fairbanks
Physics 212- Spring 2011
Nicole Wade
Putaruru Dive and Scuba
 westfordk12.us
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SCUBA diving: the modern day exploration of the
underwater world.
This is by no
means a formal definition of the sport, but for many of us in the
recreational diving community, it works just fine. SCUBA diving allows
us to explore watery communities while being unencumbered by a
tethering to the surface. The physics of this sport, while unchanging,
has a rich history of discovery. Although it is intriguing and worth
investigation, one need not understand the history of SCUBA diving nor
it's course of discovery in order to be a safe diver. It is essential,
however, that every individual donning a tank and regulator understand
the SCUBA-relevant physics of the following subjects:
Buoyancy
Thermodynamics Gases More gases Light and sound While I have only listed a handful
of subjects here, it must be noted
that there are a multitude of physical properties and laws that dictate
occurrences and perceptions while diving. For the sake of those of us
divers without physics degrees, I have attempted to keep explanations
as simple and as straightforward as possible while still conveying the
necessary physical ideas and formulas.
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