Name: ____________ Class: ____ Date:____

Partner's Name _______________

Respiration (breathing) Lab

Part A: Model of the lungs
Procedure: In this activity, you will build a model of the lungs.
1. Cut the bottom off of a clear plastic bottle.
2. Stretch the small balloon by blowing into it once and releasing the air.
3. Pull the opening of the balloon over the bottom of a one-hole rubber stopper.
4. Insert the balloon through the mouth of the bottle. Press the stopper tightly into the bottle.
5. Cut the large balloon across the rounded end about 1 cm from the end. Tie the other end closed.
6. Stretch the large balloon over the cut end of the bottle.
7. Watch as you pull down on the large balloon, and then push it back up.
8. Record your observations.
Observations: ________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Draw a picture of your bottle and balloon set-up when you pull the balloon down and when you push the
balloon up. Label each part of the model.

Draw a picture of the chest during INHALATION and EXHALATION. Label these structures on your picture:
diaphragm, ribs, lungs, trachea, and bronchi.

As the volume of the chest cavity INCREASES, what happens to the pressure?
__________________________________________________________________________________
As the volume of the chest cavity DECREASES, what happens to the pressure?
__________________________________________________________________________________
How does this relationship of VOLUME to PRESSURE explain what happens during inhalation and
exhalation? Why is the DIAPHRAGM muscle important? ________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Part B: The Effect of Exercise on Breathing Rate

Procedure: In this activity, you will investigate the effect of exercise on breathing rate and graph your
results.
1. With a partner, sit quietly for one minute.
2. One person counts their breaths while the other person keeps track of time for 30 seconds. Record your
results in the table.
3. Wait for 30 seconds. Then repeat two more times and record your results.
4. Repeat steps 1-3, switching partners. Record your results.
5. Calculate the average of each partner's results. This is your average resting breathing rate.
6. One partner perform some vigorous exercise while the other one times for 3 minutes.
7. Record the breathing rate for this partner three times the same as you did for breathing rate.
8. Repeat steps 6-7 with the other partner.
9. Calculate the averages for each partner's new breathing rate.
10. Extrapolate these to find the average number of breaths per minute for each partner.
Data Table 1: Breathing Rate Before Exercise
Before Exercise

Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Average

Average
breaths/min

Trial 2

Trial 3

Average

Average
breaths/min

Partner A:
Partner B:
Data Table 2: Breathing Rate After Exercise
After Exercise

Trial 1

Partner A:
Partner B:
Calculate the difference between your average breathing rate per minute before and after exercise. ______
Calculate the difference between your partner's average breathing rate per minute before and after
exercise. ________
Why is the breathing rate different before and after exercise?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Why is it important to do three trials and then calculate the average? (How might the results be different if
you only did one trial?)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Record the results for the average number of breaths per minute before and after exercise from the entire
class in your notebook. Calculate the averages for the entire class.
Class average breathing rate before exercise: _______
Class average breathing rate after exercise:

_______

Difference:

_______

Construct a graph that plots this data.

How to make a graph of your data

An important part of the scientific method is creating data tables and graphs to present your data.
For your respiratory lab, you will create two graphs: one line graph and one bar graph. Your
graphs need to have a title, a label for the X-axis (usually the independent variable), a label for the
Y-axis (usually the dependent variable), and a key explaining what each color and line represents.
Graph 1: Line graph
Title: Individual and class averages for number of breaths per minute before and after
exercise
X-axis: Student
Y-axis: Number of Breaths per Minute
Choose a color to represent number of breaths before exercise
Mark a point on the graph for each students average number of breaths before exercise
Use a ruler to connect the points with a solid line
Calculate the class average and draw a dashed line at this number
Choose a second color to represent number of breaths after exercise
Repeat this process using your second color for number of breaths after exercise
Graph 2: Bar Graph
Title: My average compared to the class average number of breaths per minute before
and after exercise
X-axis: Before Exercise and After Exercise
Y-axis: Number of Breaths per Minute
Use the same colors as you used in your line graph to represent before and after exercise
Draw a horizontal line at the average number of breaths per minute for yourself before
exercise. Draw a rectangle up to that line, and fill it in completely with color.
Draw a second horizontal line at the average number of breaths per minute for the class.
Draw a rectangle up to that line and draw parallel lines to fill it in with color.
Repeat this process using your second color for number of breaths after exercise.
Example:
My Data for Average Number of Breaths per Minute
Before Exercise
After Exercise
18
36
Class Data for Average Number of Breaths per Minute
Student
Before Exercise
After Exercise
1
24
41
2
18
36
3
26
38
4
26
40
5
24
46
*Average
23.6
40.2
*To calculate the average, add up all the numbers, then divide the total by the number of numbers.
For example 24+18+26+26+24 = 118
118/5 = 23.6

Graph 1: Individual and class averages for number of breaths per minute
before and after exercise

Number of
Breaths per
Minute

Student

Graph 2: My average compared to the class average number of breaths per

minute before and after exercise

Number of
Breaths per
Minute

After
Before

Before and After Exercise