Summary
Areas of Science
Difficulty
Time Required
Average (6-10 days)
Material Availability
Bromothymol blue is a specialty chemical which can be ordered from an online vendor.
Cost
Low ($20 - $50)
Safety
Adult supervision is recommended. If using bromothymol blue, be careful not to ingest it. Any volunteer who feels light-headed after exhaling should stop immediately and not repeat the experiment.
Credits
*Note:
For this science project you will need to develop your own experimental procedure. Use the information in the summary tab as a starting place. If you would like to discuss your ideas or need help troubleshooting, use the Ask An Expert forum. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions and offer guidance if you come to them with specific questions.
If you want a Project Idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk (*) at the end of the title.
If you want a Project Idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk (*) at the end of the title.
Abstract
Our metabolism changes as we get older, a sad fact of life that we cannot change. Old age affects our bodies in many ways. Changes in musculature, bone strength, energy, diet and breathing are some of the many ways we change as we age. You might notice that people often get out of breath when they are older and doing a physical activity. Why do some people feel out of breath, while others do not? Does this change correlate with age? Could this reflect a difference in lung capacity between the ages? You can test the lung capacity of several individuals using an empty soda bottle, some plastic tubing and a bucket of water. Partially fill a large bucket with water and use the water to fill a 2 liter soda bottle. Invert the bottle and immerse in the bucket of water, being careful not to spill out any of the water. Place one end of the tube into the opening of the bottle. Ask a volunteer to inhale, place their mouth on the other end of the tube and completely exhale into the tube. Watch as the water in the bottle becomes displaced by the exhaled air. When finished, carefully put the cap on the bottle and remove without spilling any of the remaining water. The lung capacity will be equal to the amount of water displaced by air in the bottle. You can also use a solution of bromothymol blue to measure the amount of carbon dioxide gas present when you exhale. Blow through a straw into the solution being careful not to suck up any liquid. The color of the solution will change according to the amount of carbon dioxide in solution, which will form carbonic acid and change the indicator from blue to yellow. How might respiration change before and after a physical activity? How does respiration compare between smokers and non-smokers? Adults and children? Dogs, cats and people? Good luck getting your cat to breath through a straw! (Dashefsky, 1995, 82-84;VanCleave, 1993, 177-182)Bibliography
- Dashefsky, H.S. 1995. Zoology: 49 Science Fair Projects. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
- VanCleave, J. 1993. Janice VanCleave's A+ Projects in Biology. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Ask an Expert
Do you have specific questions about your science project? Our team of volunteer scientists can help. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions, offer guidance, and help you troubleshoot.
Global Connections
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) are a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.
This project explores topics key to Good Health and Well-Being: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
This project explores topics key to Good Health and Well-Being: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
Careers
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Physicians work to ease physical and mental suffering due to injury and disease. They diagnose medical conditions and then prescribe or administer appropriate treatments. Physicians also seek to prevent medical problems in their patients by advising preventative care. Ultimately, physicians try to help people live and feel better at every age.
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Would you like to sew up a bad cut after fall? Order and interpret X-rays? Help with surgery? Conduct physicals? Prescribe medications? Physician assistants have many of the same duties as physicians, only they practice medicine under the supervision of a physician or a surgeon. In rural or inner-city areas, physician assistants might have considerable independence, since they might be the only healthcare provider available to these communities. Physician assistants can choose to study…
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Registered nurses have been called the backbone of our health-care system. Working on the front lines of medical care, they treat patients, monitor and record their condition, help establish a plan of care, educate patients or the public about a medical condition, and provide advice and emotional support to patients' family members. Registered nurses are highly observant and detail-oriented, and are often the first to catch important and changing signs and symptoms. Many nurses specialize in…
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Cite This Page
General citation information is provided here. Be sure to check the formatting, including capitalization, for the method you are using and update your citation, as needed.MLA Style
Science Buddies Staff.
"Lung Capacity and Age." Science Buddies,
20 Nov. 2020,
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/HumBio_p003/human-biology-health/lung-capacity-and-age.
Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
APA Style
Science Buddies Staff.
(2020, November 20).
Lung Capacity and Age.
Retrieved from
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/HumBio_p003/human-biology-health/lung-capacity-and-age
Last edit date: 2020-11-20
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