Question

You are enjoying your vacation on the coast and decided to go snorkeling. Your tidal volume is 460 mL and breathing rate is 14 breaths/min. Conducting zone of your respiratory system can hold 210 mL of air. Your snorkel gear holds 150 mL of air. What is amount of fresh air you can breathe in and out every minute (aka, alveolar ventilation) BEFORE you put the snorkel gear on

Answer 1

Answer:

Option C

Explanation:

Option

A. 6440 mL/min

B. 4340 mL

C. 3500 mL/min

D. 2940 mL/min

Solution

It is required to find the minute ventilation which is equal to the product of rate of breathing and the total amount of gas being inhaled or exhaled per breathe.  Let this minute ventilation be denoted by "$V_f$"

Thus,

$V_f = TD * B_r$

where TD is the tidal volume and Br is the rate of breathing

Substituting the given values we get

$V_f = 460 *14 \\V_f = 6440$

We will now reduce the air held in the conducting zone of respiratory system

Air held per breathe $= 210$

Total Air held

$= 210 * 14 \\= 2940$

Amount of fresh air one can breathe in and out every minute

$= 6440 - 2940 \\= 3500$

Hence, Option C is correct