A recreational diver plans a descent in a freshwater lake where the surface atmospheric pressure is 1.01×105Pa. The diver’s equipment is rated to withstand a maximum absolute pressure of 3.00×105Pa. The density of the lake water is 1000kgm−3 and the local gravitational field has magnitude g=9.80ms−2.
(a) Calculate the maximum gauge pressure the diver’s equipment can safely experience.
(b) Determine the greatest depth in the lake at which the diver can operate without exceeding the equipment’s pressure rating. Provide your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures.
(c) If the diver descends exactly to this depth, what percentage of the total absolute pressure is due to the water column rather than the atmosphere? Show your work.