The Physics of Scuba Diving Press Release
Marlow Anderson (2011)
ISBN: 978-1-907284-78-6
7th July 2011
The latest title in NUP's 'The Physics of...' series ...
How physics affects what divers do...How scientific thinking illuminates the practical endeavour of diving under water and includes pressure, Boyle's Law, buoyancy, the behaviour of ideal gases, the structure of water and the movement of sound and light in water.
In his foreword, Marlow says "After initial scuba training, my wife and I immediately became enthusiastic divers and now have 15 years of great scuba diving adventures to look back on. Getting involved in diving education was natural for me, since I love to share my passions with other people. In this book, I am able to share two passions at once: science and scuba diving!" Marlow also tells of his journey into the underwater world, having been captivated by the columns and rows of numbers that make up the dive tables. Where do these numbers come from? His personal quest was to understand those dive tables and resulted in this book. He goes on to say "Now students can be motivated to understand and appreciate interesting and practical applications of physics"
A book which fills in the gaps between the popular scuba literature, which avoids most of the mathematical details; and the technical scuba literature which is written for researchers and experts - not an easy read for the layman.
Readers of "The Physics of Scuba Diving" who are scuba divers, or who are intrigued by scuba diving, are provided with a wealth of elementary mathematics in this applied context. They will actually be learning some science and mathematics in an entertaining and interesting context. In addition the book will allow them to really understand why the safe diving practices they've learned work and why they are necessary.
- How water pressure affects scuba divers, and how basic mathematics describes this.
- Full descriptions of the mathematics of the dive tables, which is difficult to find elsewhere in the popular literature
- As supplemental reading, provides a new and fun application of basic mathematics, especially exponential growth and decay.
- For the mathematicians; Exercises follow each chapter, once armed with a calculator and an Excel spreadsheet.
- Answers to these questions are also available separately.
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There are many tips for the avid diver including advice on modelling nitrogen absorption; the bends, and how the diver sees, hears and senses heat underwater. In addition, the book describes how divers are affected by typical water movements, and the affects of temperature and waves.
The author is a professor of maths at the "Colorado College, in Colorado Springs. Marlow received his undergraduate degree from Whitman College, studied algebra at the University of Kansas and received his PhD in 1978. He has co-authored a technical monograph and a textbook in maths, and has co-edited two books on its history. A scuba diver since 1996, he became a PADI Assistant Instructor in diving in 1998, and has been able to share his passion for both maths and scuba diving with many students.
Note to Editors: Marlow can be available for interviews upon request.