Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: dentstudent on 24/05/2007 15:09:51

Title: Water compression
Post by: dentstudent on 24/05/2007 15:09:51

If you brought up a cubic metre of sea water from the bottom of the Mariana Trench, by how much would it expand at the surface?

Title: Water compression
Post by: daveshorts on 24/05/2007 16:39:10

About 3-4% according to a rough extrapolation from compressibility figures in Wikipedia

Title: Water compression
Post by: dentstudent on 25/05/2007 10:03:14

Thanks! It's not much is it, considering the hundreds of atmospheres of pressure at that depth.

Title: Water compression
Post by: Batroost on 25/05/2007 22:19:11

Quote

Thanks! It's not much is it, considering the hundreds of atmospheres of pressure at that depth.

No it isn't. But water responds far more to temperature. Even under 155 atmospheres of pressure water at 300 degrees C (~45 degrees from boiling) has a relative density of only about 75% of that of water at room temperature and pressure.