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Lung Capacity a BodyWorks On Tour science experiment
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Video Source: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCEUW8moLeI
Measure your lung capacity in this science experiment using a spirometer made from household items! • The amount of air that can be held in the lungs varies from person to person. An average person breathes in around 11,000 litres of air each day! • To do this experiment you will need - a large bottle (minimum of 3 litres - ideally 5 litres), bottles or a measuring jug and some water, plastic tubing, a large tub, a measuring cylinder, some masking tape, a pen, and some scissors. • Attach a strip of tape to the large bottle from top to bottom. • Use the measuring cylinder to add 250 ml of water to the bottle. Use the pen to mark the water level on the strip of masking tape. • Repeat the last step until the bottle is marked to the top. • Fill the large tub with water to a depth of around 10 cm and place the large bottle upright in the tub. • Fill the bottle to the very top. Place your hand over the top of the bottle. Invert the bottle into the tub of water. Don't remove your hand until the bottle neck is under the water. Insert one end of the tubing into the neck of the bottle. • Hold the tube, take a deep breath and blow until there is no air left in your lungs. • Measure how much air is in the bottle (count the marks). To calculate your lung capacity multiply the number of marks by 250 and then divide by 1000. • e.g. 13 x 250 = 3250 ml / 1000 = 3.25 litres • It's a good idea to try this 3 times and work out the average from your results. • What's happening? • You used displacement to calculate your lung capacity. Blowing into the bottle displaced a volume of water and replaced it with air. • You measured your vital capacity, the maximum amount of air that can be expired from the lungs after a maximum inhalation. • A normal healthy adult has a vital capacity between 3 and 5 litres. • In general, vital capacity increases with height and decreases with age. • • Visit us and find out more: http://www.glasgowsciencecentre.org
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