When diving, what happens to a bubble of air as it rises toward the surface?

When a bubble of air rises toward the surface during a dive, the volume of the bubble increases due to the reduction in pressure as it ascends. According to Boyle's Law, which states that the volume of a gas is inversely proportional to the pressure applied to it when temperature is constant, as the pressure decreases, the volume of the gas must increase.

At deeper depths, the pressure surrounding the bubble is greater, compressing its volume. As the bubble begins to rise and encounter less pressure, it expands. This expansion continues until the bubble reaches the surface, where the pressure is at its lowest. Therefore, the correct understanding is that the volume of the bubble increases as it rises.

The alternative options provide scenarios that do not accurately represent the behavior of gases under pressure conditions experienced during diving. The bubble does not decrease in volume, remain the same, or evaporate, as it is simply a gas trapped in a membrane rather than a liquid substance that would evaporate.