Lung Volume

Lung Volume


 The aim of this experiment is to measure the lung volume.


  • Water
  • A clean plastic tube.
  • A big plastic container
  • Basin or a sink


  • The cleanliness of the tube should be spick and span.
  • The kitchen sink needs to be filled with ten centimeters of water.
  • Fill water up to the brim in the plastic container.
  • Put your hand on the opening of the container to prevent the water from falling when turned upside down.
  • The upside down bottle must be placed inside the sink filled with water. Keep your hand on the lid and when submerged then take it off.
  • The plastic tube must be inserted into the plastic container and take a huge breath.
  • Inhale deeply and completely exhale into the plastic container through the tube.
  • The amount of air in your lungs will be measured from that container.

What happens?

The water inside the container is replaced by the air inside your lungs due to the breathing out that we did through the tube. The breath you took must be your largest capacity and thus the quantity of water that you pushed out of the container is directly related to the total amount of air, which your lungs are capable of holding. If it is in high number means that your oxygenation capacity is greater. Regularly exercising helps with increasing the lung’s capacity.


Practise This Question

When doing an experiment to measure the temperature at which water boils, Akash keeps the laboratory thermometer completely immersed in water and without touching the surface or bottom of the beaker, whereas Susweta does the same experiment with the thermometer touching the bottom of the beaker. Who is more likely to get an accurate reading?