ATMOSPHERE APPLICATION QUESTIONSCHECK YOUR ANSWERS AS WE DISCUSS

Altitude SicknessAltitude Sickness• As altitude increases, there is

less air above you (less mass)

• Less mass means less density (molecules are farther apart)

• Air is only 21% oxygen

• Less density means less oxygen

• Less oxygen leads to death of cells, tissues, and organs

• Symptoms include headache, dizziness, fatigue and vomiting

• Airlines pump additional oxygen into their planes to avoid this while people fly

High–Altitude TrainingHigh–Altitude Training• As altitude increases, there is less oxygen (more

oxygen at low altitudes)

• Cell respiration uses oxygen to burn sugar to create energy to run the cells (muscle cells use a lot of oxygen to make a lot of energy)

• Red blood cells carry oxygen on a molecule called hemoglobin.

• People who train at high altitudes make more red blood cells over time (usually takes a minimum of 4 weeks).

• When they return to lower altitudes, they can work their muscles harder and longer without getting tired due to the extra oxygen.

• The benefits can last for up to 2 or 3 weeks.

Airplane Max Altitude - 1Airplane Max Altitude - 1

• As altitude increases, there is less air above you (less mass)

• Less mass means less air pressure (less force because force = mass x acceleration)

• Plane wings need high pressure under the wing and low pressure above the wing to provide lift (unbalanced forces cause objects to move)

• At high enough altitudes, the air pressure is not high enough to keep the plane in the air.

Airplane Max Altitude - 2Airplane Max Altitude - 2

• As altitude increases, there is less air above you (less mass)

• Less mass means less density (molecules are farther apart)

• Air is only 21% oxygen

• Less density means less oxygen

• The burning of fuel (or any material) requires oxygen

• At high enough altitudes, there is not enough oxygen in the air to keep the plane engines running

Airplane Altitude BenefitAirplane Altitude Benefit

• As altitude increases, there is less air above you (less mass)

• Less mass means less density (molecules are farther apart)

• Friction is caused by objects colliding with molecules of air

• Friction slows objects down & doesn’t let them travel as far

• In order to overcome friction, planes must use more fuel

• Flying at higher altitudes, in thinner air, uses less fuel

Deep Sea Diving – Going downDeep Sea Diving – Going down

• Density and pressure decrease as altitude increases (due to the lower mass of air above you)

• Diving under water adds a column of water to the column of air above you

• The deeper you dive, the more the pressure and density of your environment increase (more mass above you)

• Submarines, submersibles, and scuba tanks are pressurized in order to avoid crushing under the additional pressure

Effects of Pressure on the BodyEffects of Pressure on the Body

• Pressure is a force

• Unbalanced forces cause objects to move

• Pressure decreases as altitude increases (less mass above you)

• Pressure increases as depth below water increases (more mass above you)

• The body has its own internal pressure that must be maintained (ears popping is one way this happens)

Deep Sea Diving – coming upDeep Sea Diving – coming up

• Returning to the surface too fast causes pressure to drop faster than the body can keep up with.

• Gases (mainly nitrogen) bubble out of solution and gather in joints and organs.

• Condition commonly called decompression sickness.

• Symptoms include joint pain, numbness in arms and legs, difficulty breathing, fatigue and dizziness.

• In order to avoid this, divers usually come back to the surface in stages (just like people climb mountains in stages to avoid altitude sickness).