Investigation: What Factors Affect Lung Capacity
The amount of air that you move in and out of your lungs while breathing normally is called TIDAL VOLUME . This amount of air provides enough oxygen for a person who is resting.
It is possible to inhale and exhale more forcefully - the maximum amount of air moved in and out of the lungs is called the VITAL CAPACITY, which is the amount of air a person can expel from the lungs at maximum inhalation.
Materials -- Balloons, metric ruler, meter stick (or rulers or tape measures)
Prediction: Which factor(s) have the most affect a person’s vital capacity? Rank in order from MOST effect (1) to least effect (5)
In this activity, you will be measuring the vital capacity of members of the class. If you have any breathing difficulties (asthma or other condition), you should not participate. You will be using the diameter of a balloon and the graph shown to estimate your capacities.
1. Choose 3 subjects from your group and record data on their height, age, sex, and activity level.
2. Measuring Vital Capacity -- Stretch a round balloon several times to stretch it out. Take a deep breath and then exhale into the balloon. Pinch the end of the balloon and measure its diameter in cm. Record on data table.
3. Convert the diameter to volume using the graph and record this on your table.
4. Estimated Vital Capacity
Research has shown that the capacity of a person's lungs is proportional to the surface area of his body and his height. This online calculator will use your height and age to estimate your vital capacity. Have each of your subjects record their data.
Go to this site: http://biol.co/vitcap1 and input information on test subjects. It will calculate the vital capacity.
1. What is the difference between tidal volume and vital capacity? Suggest a way you could measure a person’s tidal volume .
2. Compare your subjects’ vital capacity and variables listed (height, weight, sex..etc). Based on your limited data, which factors had the GREATEST impact on tidal volume.
3. What variables of your test subjects were necessary to input into the calculator? Which variables seem to have the LEAST effect on a person’s vital capacity?
4. How might an athlete's vital capacity compare to a non-athlete? Explain your reasoning.
5. Do you think the person with the greatest vital capacity can hold their breath longer than those with a lower vital capacity? Consider the difference between internal respiration and external respiration and explain why lung capacity may not have a great effect on length of time you can hold your breath.
Related Activities
Measuring Lung Capacity with Respirometers
Investigation: Heat Loss
Demonstration: Bromothymol blue and carbon dioxide
COMMENTS
In this video, I show how you can calculate your vital capacity (the maximum air you can breathe in one breath). First you would measure your "expected" vit...
Measuring vital capacity. Measure vital capacity using either a balloon spirometer or a water displacement spirometer. Feel free to try both. TIME: 20 minutes. SAFETY: If you have a respiratory condition, you should avoid this activity. Choose latex-free balloons if you have an allergy. Use fresh tubing or straws for each participant
Measuring Vital Capacity-- Stretch a round balloon several times to stretch it out. Take a deep breath and then exhale into the balloon. Pinch the end of the balloon and measure its diameter in cm. Record on data table. 3. Convert the diameter to volume using the graph and record this on your table. 4.
About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright ...
This video shown how to conduct the experiment to measuring our lung capacity by using circumference of the balloon.
The purpose of the investigation is to determine our own lung capacity and then depending on your student's hypothesis do some additional testing and measure lung capacity again. You will need a balloon (the kind that blows up into a regular balloon shape, not the oblong sort), a measuring tape or ruler, and something to record data with and ...
Record this measurement in Data Table t. 4. Use Figure 2 to convert the balloon diameters in Data Table 1 into lung volumes. On the horizontal (x) axis, locate the diameter of the balloon in centimeters and follow the number up until it meets the curved line. Then move across in a straight line to the vertical (y) axis and approximate the lung ...
Figure 3: The image above shows the proper use of the flow head for the respiration experiment. Exercise 2: Lung Volume and Capacities 11. Zero the Spirometer Pod using the Zero Pod button. Remember that the flow head must be left undisturbed on the bench during the zeroing process. 12. Click Start.
Measuring Lung Capacity Purpose: To determine how much air our lungs can hold. Materials: Make a list of the materials we will use today. Procedure: 1. Stretch your balloon. 2. Take a deep breath and blow all at once into the balloon and close it off. 3. Shape the balloon into a sphere shape while holding the air in. 4.
then exhale normally into the balloon. Do not force your breathing. Pinch the end of the balloon and measure its diameter. Be careful with the measurements to be sure you do not flatten the balloon. Repeat this so that you have 3 total measurements and can take the average and record in the data table. 2. Measuring Vital Capacity - Repeat the ...