Diving –
Gas Laws

Henry’s Law states that at a constant temperature, the amount of a gas dissolved in a liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas in equilibrium with that liquid. For a diver, Henry's Law tells us that at higher pressure our bodies will absorb more gases. As a diver descends, nitrogen inhaled has nowhere to escape and under pressure becomes soluble in the bloodstream, muscles and tissues. As a diver ascends, the pressure is released and like a bottle of soft drink, the nitrogen in the body tries to escape and may form bubbles if the diver ascends too quickly causing decompression sickness also known as ‘the bends’.