Ethan dives 10 meters into the Atlantic Ocean. How much pressure does he experience?

a. 1 atm

b. 10 atm

c. 35 ppt

d. 29.4 psi

The answer is A. 1 atm.

Solution:

Pressure in terms of height can be calculated using the formula:

P = pgh

where: p = density (kg/m^3); g = gravitational constant (m/s^2); h = height (m)

Using SI units: P = 1000 (kg/m^3) * 9.81 (m/s^2) * 10 (m) = 98,100 Pascals

Convert Pascals to atm:

98,100 Pa (1 atm/101325 Pa) = 0.968 atm = rounded up to 1 atm