What happens to the volume of a sealed balloon filled with air when it rises from 99 feet of seawater to 33 feet?

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As a balloon filled with air rises from a depth of 99 feet of seawater to 33 feet, the volume of the balloon increases due to the change in pressure. At greater depths, water exerts more pressure on the balloon, causing it to compress. According to Boyle's Law, which states that the pressure of a gas decreases as its volume increases (and vice versa) when temperature is held constant, we can expect that as the balloon ascends and the pressure decreases, its volume will increase significantly.

At 99 feet of seawater, the pressure is greater than at 33 feet because of the additional column of water overhead. As the balloon rises, the external pressure acting on it decreases, allowing the gas inside the balloon to expand. Therefore, the balloon will occupy a larger volume as it ascends through the water column.

In this scenario, when the balloon rises to 33 feet, it would have expanded to a new volume, potentially reaching 8 liters, depending on the initial volume at 99 feet and the conditions surrounding (assuming no temperature change). This represents a reasonable assumption based on the application of Boyle's Law in scuba diving scenarios, demonstrating how gas behaves under changes in pressure during ascents or descents.

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