In a Puff of Smoke:
Take a Deep Breath
Lung Capacity

General Safety Guidelines

Lung Capacity

The lungs of a person who smokes become damaged by the cancer-causing compounds in tobacco. Often, breathing capacity is reduced, leading to emphysema, a chronic lung disorder that limits the elasticity of the lungs, thus impairing the person's ability to inhale and exhale properly.

One measure of the health of your lungs is the volume of air you can exhale in one breath. Physicians measure this volume with a spirometer, but you can get a pretty good idea of your lung capacity in this activity. You will try to blow up a balloon with one breath and then measure the volume of air you exhaled. You will need a partner for this activity.

Procedure

1. Your teacher will provide a balloon. Do not lend your balloon to anyone else in the class and do not borrow a balloon from a classmate, since each of you will being blowing into your balloon.

2. Fill a plastic soda bottle with water (it can be a 1 liter bottle or a 2 liter bottle).

3. Fill a large bucket half full with water.

4. Cover the opening of the bottle with your finger or hand and invert the soda bottle in the bucket of water. Be careful so no air bubbles get in the bottle when you're doing this.

5. Thread one end of a section of rubber tubing into the mouth of the bottle. Pinch off the end of the tubing.

6. Flatten a balloon to get rid of as much air as possible. Take a deep breath. Place the open end of the balloon in your mouth and exhale through your mouth into the balloon as quickly as you can. Try not to exhale through your nose.

7. Pinch the end of the balloon closed to keep the air inside the balloon. Do not tie it off.

8. Thread the other end of the tubing into your balloon without letting any air escape.

9. Make a seal around the tubing and the balloon with your hand and slowly allow the air in the balloon to escape into the soda bottle. Flatten the ballon to make sure all the air is out.

10. Remove the tubing from the balloon and the bottle.

11. Cover the mouth of the bottle and remove it from the bucket.

12. Measure the volume of water needed to fill the bottle to its original volume.