Scuba divers breathing air at increased pressure can suffer from nitrogen narcosis—a condition resembling drunkenness—when the partial pressure of nitrogen exceeds about 4 atm. What property of gas-water solutions causes this to happen? How can a diver reverse this effect?

Verified step by step guidance

1. <insert step 1> Understand that nitrogen narcosis is related to the solubility of gases in liquids, which is described by Henry's Law.>
2. <insert step 2> Recall Henry's Law, which states that the solubility of a gas in a liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of the gas above the liquid.>
3. <insert step 3> Recognize that as a diver descends, the pressure increases, leading to an increase in the partial pressure of nitrogen, which in turn increases its solubility in the diver's blood.>
4. <insert step 4> Understand that the increased solubility of nitrogen in the blood can affect the central nervous system, causing symptoms similar to drunkenness.>
5. <insert step 5> To reverse the effects of nitrogen narcosis, a diver should ascend to a shallower depth, reducing the pressure and thus the solubility of nitrogen in the blood.>