7.3 Measuring the process

Question 1

Peak Flow meter

Answer 1

Measures the rate at which air can be expelled from the lungs.

Used to see how well their lungs are working.

Question 2

Vitalographs

Answer 2

More sophisiticated version

Breath out as quickly as you can through a mouthpiece, graph produced if the amount of air you breathed out and how quickly.

The volume of air is called the forced expiratory volume in 1 second

Question 3

Spirometer

Answer 3

Measures different aspects of the lung volume, or to investigate breathing patterns.

Question 4

Tidal Volume

Answer 4

the volume of air that moves into and out of the lungs with each resting breath.

It is around 500cm3 in most adults at rest, 15% of the vital capacity of the lungs

Question 5

Vital capacity

Answer 5

Volume of air that can be breathed in when the strongest possible exhalation is followed by the deepest possible intake of breath

Question 6

Inspiratory reserve volume

Answer 6

the maximum volume of air you can breath in over and above normal inhalation

Question 7

Expiratory reserve volume

Answer 7

is the extra amount of air you can force out of your lungs over and above the normal tidal volume if air you breathe out

Question 8

Residual volume

Answer 8

the volume of air that is left in your lungs when you have exhaled as hard as possible

this cannot be measured directly

Question 9

total lung capacity

Answer 9

vital capacity plus residual volume

Question 10

breathing rate

Answer 10

number of breaths taken per minute

Question 11

ventilation rate

Answer 11

total volume of air inhaled in one minute

tidal volume times breathing rate

Question 12

when you exercise…

Answer 12

O2 demand increases, tidal volume increases to as much as 50% of the vital capacity. Breathing rate can also increase