Questions: A scuba diver experiences a pressure of 2.86 × 10^4 torr. Convert this pressure to atm. Be sure your answer has the correct number of significant figures.

Solution Steps

To convert pressure from torr to atm, we need to use the conversion factor:
\[ 1 \, \text{atm} = 760 \, \text{torr} \]

We will use the conversion factor to convert the given pressure in torr to atm. The formula for conversion is:
\[ \text{Pressure in atm} = \frac{\text{Pressure in torr}}{760 \, \text{torr/atm}} \]

Substitute the given pressure into the formula:
\[ \text{Pressure in atm} = \frac{2.86 \times 10^{4} \, \text{torr}}{760 \, \text{torr/atm}} \]

Calculate the pressure in atm:
\[ \text{Pressure in atm} = \frac{2.86 \times 10^{4}}{760} \approx 37.6316 \]

Since the given pressure \(2.86 \times 10^{4}\) has three significant figures, we round the result to three significant figures:
\[ \text{Pressure in atm} \approx 37.6 \]

Final Answer