Troubleshooting Air Volume Increase: -3.5°C to 37°C

In summary, the question asks how much the volume of air will increase as it warms from -3.5°C to 37°C. The equation used to solve this problem is \displaystyle{\frac{V}{T}} = \displaystyle{\frac{V}{T}}. However, the correct answer is not the calculated 5.18 L. Instead, the volume will not increase due to the person holding their breath, but the pressure will increase. Therefore, the answer should be 0.
  • #1
mikep
43
0
can someone please help me with this problem?
After emptying her lungs, a person inhales 4.5 L of air at -3.5°C and holds her breath. How much does the volume of the air increase as it warms to her body temperature of 37°C?
i used the equation [tex]\displaystyle{\frac{V}{T}} = \displaystyle{\frac{V}{T}}[/tex]

[tex]\displaystyle{\frac{4.5L}{269.5K}} = \displaystyle{\frac{V}{310K}}[/tex] V = 5.18
but i got the wrong answer. can someone please tell me what I'm foing wrong?
 
Last edited:
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  • #2
You found the final volume. What is the question asking for...?

I think you'll see it. :smile:
 
  • #3
oh ok i tried 5.2 - 4.5 = 0.7 but i still got it wrong
 
  • #4
Ha! The question fooled us both. Upon re-reading, I realized that the volume will not increase because she is holding her breath. Pressure will increase.

Good fun.
 
  • #5
wouldn't the pressure decrease? i tried 0 as an answer but it didn't work
 
  • #6
mikep said:
wouldn't the pressure decrease? i tried 0 as an answer but it didn't work


No... the pressure Would increase because the volume tries to increase as temp increases, but the lungs confine it to the same volume...
 
  • #7
so is the answer suppose to be 0?
 
  • #8
as far as i can tell...

but i could easily be wrong... =/
 
  • #9
well the question doesn't say that she fills her lungs. it just says she empties them and then breathes in 4.5 litres so I don't think you can assume her lungs are filled at this point. Unless you've been studing average lungcapacity or the pressure lungs exert on air then I think what you did in the first and third posts would be correct.
 
  • #10
I don't think so. Remember that no matter how little air she takes in, it will spread to occupy the entire volume of her lungs because it is in gaseous phase. Once that happens, any increase in temperature will cause an increase in pressure according to:
[tex]PV=nRT[/tex]
When volume (V), amount of gas (n), and the constant (R), are constant, [itex]P~\alpha~T[/itex].

I think the answer should be 0.
 
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1. How does temperature affect air volume?

The relationship between temperature and air volume is described by Charles' Law, which states that as temperature increases, the volume of a gas increases proportionally, assuming that pressure remains constant. This means that as the temperature of air increases, its volume also increases.

2. Why is there a specific temperature range mentioned in the title?

The specific temperature range of -3.5°C to 37°C is likely the temperature range in which the air volume increase is being observed or measured. This range may be relevant to a specific experiment or study.

3. What factors can cause a change in air volume with temperature?

Aside from the relationship described by Charles' Law, other factors that can affect air volume with temperature include changes in pressure, humidity, and the specific gas being measured. Additionally, the container in which the air is held can also impact its volume with temperature.

4. How can air volume increase be troubleshooted?

If the air volume increase is unexpected or unwanted, it could be due to a number of reasons including errors in measurements or calculations, changes in environmental conditions, or equipment malfunctions. Troubleshooting would involve identifying and addressing these potential causes and ensuring that all variables are properly controlled and measured.

5. Can the air volume increase be reversed?

In most cases, the air volume increase caused by a change in temperature can be reversed by lowering the temperature back to its original value. However, if the increase is due to other factors such as changes in pressure, humidity, or the specific gas being measured, it may not be possible to reverse the increase without addressing those factors as well.

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