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EXPERIMENT 3 |
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MEASURING LUNG CAPACITY |
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| THINGS YOU NEED: 2-quart plastic juice container (the kind with a screw-on cap). 3 feet of tubing. | ||||||||
| It is well known that continued exposure to polluted air over a long period can damage the lungs. One of the results of this damage is that the lungs slowly lose their ability to asborb oxygen from the air and throw off carbon dioxide. | ||||||||
| We’re all aware of how vital an ample supply of air is to our bodies. On the average, we use about 35 pounds of it everyday, which is about 6 times as much as the total amount of food and water we take in. | ||||||||
| Here is a simple experiment that will enable you to estimate the capacity of your lungs and keep tabs on their efficiency through the years. | ||||||||
| To begin, measure the exact amount of water that fills the plastic juice container to the very brim. Then screw the cap on the container. Using either the kitchen or bathroom sink, run about four inches of water into the sink. | ||||||||
| Next, invert the container into the sink. With the neck under water, remove the cap and insert the tubing. If air gets into the container, simply work the tubing into the air cavity and draw the air out by sucking on your end of the tubing. Stop sucking the instant that water starts entering the tubing in the container, and pinch the tubing to stop any further flow. | ||||||||
| OK, ready for the test? Take a deep breath . . . deeper . . .
and blow into the tubing as long as you can. This will force
water out of the container. When you’ve run out of air (that is, when your eyes start crossing), pull out the tubing. Then screw the cap back on while the container is submerged. |
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