Lung capacity of smokers and non-smokers (contd.)

Once you have done the experiment, try to answer the following questions:

1.Was there a difference between lung capacities of people who smoke and who do not smoke?

2.Was the lung capacity same for all people who smoke?

3.Was the lung capacity same for all people who do not smoke?

 Based on your observations can you say that our guess was right?

You can also use this test to find out the difference in lung capacity of people who exercise regularly with people who do not exercise regularly.

The air we inhale goes through our nose or mouth into our lungs. Lungs have small balloon like sacs where exchange of gases takes place. Every time we breathe these small balloons in our lungs inflate. When a person smokes, the inhaled smoke goes through mouth or nose and enters the lungs. The particles of smoke can get deposited in the lungs. These particles can cause damage to the balloon like sacs. Sometimes mucus can also be filled in these sacs. So when a person with damaged or mucus filled sacs breathes in sacs do not inflate completely.