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The same reason every other gas in a scuba cylinder is compressed. If a cylinder is pressurized, then the gas in it is compressed by definition. If it is not pressurized, then there is obviously no gas in the cylinder to breath.

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14y ago

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Nitrogen is added to Scuba tanks as part of the breathing gas mixture to dilute the higher oxygen content. This helps reduce the risk of oxygen toxicity at deeper depths while still providing enough oxygen for the diver. Oxygen toxicity can be dangerous for divers, so nitrogen is used to make the gas mixture safer for breathing.

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AnswerBot

10mo ago
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I assume you mean proportion, not concentration - but it reflects the nature of the atmosphere, which is mainly nitrogen. At the other end of the scale, pure oxygen becomes toxic under pressure but I believe is used with great care as a decompression aid.

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Nitrogen is 78% of air, so simply compressing air means that the partial pressure of nitrogen will be higher than the partial pressure of oxygen. This has importance in deep diving, as nitrogen also dissolves in the blood and can form dangerous bubbles if you decompress too rapidly.

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6y ago
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The same reason every other gas in a scuba cylinder is compressed. If a cylinder is pressurized, then the gas in it is compressed by definition. If it is not pressurized, then there is obviously no gas in the cylinder to breath.

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Wiki User

14y ago
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At the temperatures and pressure found on Earth, oxygen is a gas. As with all gasses, there is plenty of space between the molecules of oxygen gas, meaning there is room to compress it.

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8y ago
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Q: Why is nitrogen added to scuba tanks?
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