Name________________________________

Living Environment

Date______________
Miss Elizabeth

LAB: LUNG CAPACITY

INTRODUCTION:
Human lung capacity can be measured in several ways. One way is by using a piece of laboratory
equipment called a spirometer. However, lung capacity also can be measured by using a balloon. The data
you obtain may not be as accurate as that obtained using a spirometer.
Several different lung volume measurements can be made. The largest possible amount of air which can
be exhaled after drawing in a deep breath is the vital capacity. The amount of air that remains in the lungs
after exhaling normally but which can be expelled is the expiratory reserve. The amount of air taken in or
expelled during normal breathing is about 500 cm3. This volume of air is called the tidal volume. A
certain amount of air in the lungs cannot be expelled. This amount is the residual volume.
In this investigation, you will
Exhale into a balloon to measure your tidal volume, expiratory reserve, and vital capacity.
Convert balloon measurements to volume units by using a graph.
Compare your experimental data with lung capacity data obtained from a spirometer.
Explain why differences may exist between your experimental data and data provided for average
lung capacities.
MATERIALS:

round balloon

metric .ruler

PROCEDURE:
Part A. Vital Capacity
1. Stretch a balloon several times.
2. Take as deep a breath as possible. Then exhale all the air you can
into the balloon and pinch the balloon closed to prevent air from
escaping.
3. Measure and record the diameter of the balloon in Column A of
Table 1. Use Figure 1 as a guide for measuring balloon diameter.
4. Deflate the balloon and run two (2) more trials. Record the
diameter of the balloon for each trial. In Table 1
Figure 1
Part B. Expiratory Reserve
1. Exhale normally.
2. Without inhaling as you normally would, put the balloon in your mouth and exhale all the air still left
in your lungs. NOTE: This step is different from what you did in Pan A.
3. Measure and record the diameter of the balloon in Column B of Table 1.
4. Run two more trials. Record the diameter of the balloon for each trial.
Part C. Tidal Volume
1. Take in a normal breath. Exhale into the balloon only as much air as you would normally exhale. DO
NOT force your breathing.
2. Record the diameter of the balloon in centimeters in Column C of Table 1
3. Run two more trials. Measure and record each balloon diameter in Table 1.

Name________________________________
Living Environment

Date______________
Miss Elizabeth

TABLE 1. BALLOON DIAMETER AND LUNG VOLUMES

Trial

BALLOON DIAMETER (cm)

A
B
C
Vital
Tidal Volume
Expiratory
Capacity
Reserve

1
2
3
AVERAGE

Figure 2

LUNG VOLUME (cm3)

D
E
F
Vital
Tidal Volume
Expiratory
Capacity
Reserve

Name________________________________
Living Environment

Date______________
Miss Elizabeth

Part D. Conversion of Diameters to Volume

1. Lung volume is expressed in cubic centimeters (cm3).
2. To convert from balloon diameter to volume, follow the following directions.
a. locate the balloon diameter on the horizontal axis of Figure 2.
b. Follow this number up to the heavy line
c. then move across to the left to locate the corresponding volume.
For example, if your balloon diameter is 14.5 cm, then the corresponding lung volume is 1500 cm3 Use
the dashed lines on Figure 65-2 as an example of how this procedure is done.
3. Convert each diameter for vital capacity, tidal volume, and expiratory reserve to volume.
4. Record the volumes in Columns D, E, and F of Table 1.
5. Calculate and record your average lung volume for each of the three measurements.
ANALYSIS: Answer the following questions in complete sentences and in your own words.
1. Define the following terms:
Vital capacity
Expiratory reserve
Tidal volume
2. Using your average volume measurements in Table 1, record your measured
Vital capacity:
________________
Expiratory reserve.

________________

Tidal volume. -

________________

3. The following values were obtained through the use of a special machine called a spirometer. Note
that these are average values.
MALE
FEMALE
Vital capacity

3000 cm3

4000 cm3

Expiratory reserve

1200 cm3

1000 cm3

Tidal volume

525 cm3

475 cm3

(a) How does your average vital capacity compare to the value obtained by a spirometer?

(b) Why might these numbers not agree?

(c) How could you improve the accuracy of this experiment without using a spirometer?

Name________________________________
Living Environment

Date______________
Miss Elizabeth

4. (a) What is your breathing rate for one minute? (measure the number of times you inhale OR exhale
in one minute.)
(b) How much air in cubic centimeters do you inhale in one minute? (HINT: Use your average tidal
volume from Table 1. SHOW WORK!

5. If measured with a spirometer, the average 14 year old teenager has a vital lung capacity of about
3600 cubic centimeters.
a. How does your vital capacity compare with the average 14-year old?
b. Would you expect your number to be the same as the average? Explain.