Nitrox/Scuba Diving question!!?

Question

- Boyle's Law indicates that if you ascend while holding your breath, you could rupture your lungs. Does this change when you are breathing nitrox?

I think you misunderstood me. Like, is there a difference in times and rates of expansion between nitrox and compressed air. But SwimsAlot answered my question. They compress at different rates. Thanks!

Answer 1

No, the expansion of a gas in your lungs is due to the external pressure exerted on it not the gases composition.

Sorry swimsalot but the nitrogen mixture has nothing to do with different compression ratios.

Dalton's Law
The total pressure exerted by a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the pressures that would be exerted by each of the gases if it alone were present and occupied the total volume.

PTotal= Ppl+ Pp2+ ... + Ppn

Nitrox is mainly used in scuba diving to reduce the proportion of nitrogen in the breathing gas mixture. Reducing the proportion of nitrogen by increasing the proportion of oxygen reduces the risk of decompression sickness, oxygen helps remove the nitrogen in your tissue and blood stream, allowing extended dive times without increasing the need for decompression stops.

Answer 2

No. You still risk rupturing your lungs (and other bad things) if you hold your breath while ascending with Nitrox.

The reason that your lungs could rupture if you take a breath of air off of a scuba tank underwater and then ascend is because underwater, the air is compressed so it occupies less volume. This means that when you fill your lungs underwater, you actually are putting much more air in than you would when you take a breath above water. As you ascend and the pressure decreases, the air expands--and if it expands to a volume greater than your lungs you get ruptured lungs.

Nitrox is still a gas and is still subject to the same principal--it will still expand when you ascend. However, Nitrox has a different mixture of nitrogen and oxygen which compress at different rates. The reason for using Nitrox is that nitrogen compresses at a different rate than oxygen so when you go deep diving if you use regular air, you are actually getting the improper mixutre of gasses in your lungs. To compensate this, Nitrox starts with a different mixture such that when it is compressed you are breathing the proper ratios.

Answer 3

No it doesn't.

Question for you. If you are a diver and using "mix", where did you get your cert that you didn't learn this fundemental thing in your training ? Also who is charging your tanks if you're not certified to dive "mix" ?

That might come off sounding harsh but you should be asking yourself those questions before you kill yourself or someone else !