How does a scuba diver’s oxygen tank last for ~1 hour but an astronaut’s lasts ~6-8 hours when both tanks are around the same size?
In: Technology
People are answering on the astronaut side, but I wanted to give an answer from the scuba side:
When a SCUBA diver breaths in on their tank, the air is pressurized to their depth pressure. Pressure under water increases by approximately one atmosphere every 10 meters you go down. So if you take a 4 liter breath of air at 20m depth, that uses 12 liters of air at standard atmospheric pressure. This is why it is very important to breath out while ~~assessing~~ ascending when diving, if you try and hold your breath the air will expand in your lungs and can cause serious issues.
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