Question 11 In certain deep parts of oceans, the pressure of sea water, \( P \), in pounds per square foot, at a depth of \( d \) feet below the surface, is given by the following equation: If a scientific team uses special equipment to measures the pressure under water and finds it to be 255 pounds per square foot, at what depth is the team making their measurements? Answer: The team is measuring at \( > \) Next Question

To find the depth \( d \) at which the pressure \( P \) is 255 pounds per square foot, you can rearrange the equation relating pressure and depth. Generally, pressure increases linearly with depth as \( P = \rho g d \), where \( \rho \) is the density of seawater (approximately 64 pounds per cubic foot) and \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity. If we set this equal to 255, you can solve for \( d \) and find that the team is measuring at approximately 3.98 feet. The fascinating part about measuring ocean pressure is that every 33 feet in seawater increases pressure by about one atmosphere, or roughly 14.7 pounds per square inch! Imagine the complex ecosystem that exists even at such depths, where creatures like giant squid thrive under extreme conditions. It’s like a whole other world down there, just waiting to be explored!