How does scuba work?
Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (scuba) has been developed to enable man to swim and stay underwater for long periods of time.
A scuba diver carries metal tanks (that hold compressed air or a special mixture of breathing gases) on his back and wears a mask and fins.
Breathing compressed air will damage the lungs. How can the compressed air be made safe to breathe?
The diver breathes air from the tanks through a hose. The air is fed to the diver's mouthpiece through a regulator which does two things:
- It automatically reduces the pressure of the air from the tank to a safe level (equalized with outside water pressure) for the diver to inhale.
- It supplies air when the diver inhales.
When the diver exhales, the air from his lungs is released into the water and is seen as a rush of rising bubbles.
"George Files" by Parenting the Next Generation
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