Certified Hyperbaric Technologist Practice Test

Which gas law most specifically addresses the phenomenon when the amount of nitrogen escaping from the blood and tissues exceeds the amount the body can remove?

1. Boyle's Law

2. Charles's Law

3. Henry's Law

4. Dalton's Law

The correct answer is: Henry's Law

The correct answer highlights Henry's Law, which specifically relates to the behavior of gases in liquids under pressure. According to Henry's Law, the amount of gas that dissolves in a liquid at a given temperature is directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas above the liquid. This principle is crucial in understanding how gases, such as nitrogen, behave when a person is exposed to hyperbaric conditions, like deep-sea diving. In the context of hyperbaric medicine, as pressure increases, more nitrogen can dissolve in the bloodstream and tissues. Upon returning to surface pressure, if the nitrogen is released too rapidly, it can lead to conditions such as decompression sickness, where nitrogen bubbles form in the blood and tissues. This is the phenomenon wherein the amount of nitrogen that escapes exceeds the body's ability to eliminate it safely; this directly ties back to the application of Henry's Law regarding gas solubility under varying pressures. The other gas laws—Boyle's Law, Charles's Law, and Dalton's Law—do not specifically address the solubility of gases in liquids or the effects of pressure on dissolved gases in the same way Henry's Law does, which is why they are not applicable in understanding this particular phenomenon in hyperbaric contexts.