Lung Model Activity
Dateline: 02/19/00
Ever wondered how you breathe?
Well with this project you will not only find out but you'll be able to see it
and demonstrate it to all your friends!
Materials needed:
- 2-liter soda bottle
- 9-inch round balloon
- masking tape
- plastic trash bag
- rubber band
Procedure:
- With an adult's supervision cut off the bottom of
the soda bottle
- Take your balloon and put it inside the bottle.
Carefully stretch the balloon over the mouth of the bottle. This will be the
lung itself.
- Using the plastic bag cut out a square piece of
plastic from the trash bag. Make the square 12 by 12 inches.
- Take the plastic sheet and fold it in half twice
- Take the folded sheet and beginning at the folded
corner twist a one inch section and secure it with tape. You can use this
like a handle.
- Lay the sheet down and unfold it. Keep the handle on
the underside.
- Set the open part of the bottle down on the sheet.
This part becomes the diaphragm.
- Hold on to your bottle and move the plastic
sheet out and in. Watch what happens to the balloon.
What Happens?
If all goes well your lung model should
inflate and deflate the balloon as you push the handle in and out. But Why? When
your diaphragm, the big muscle that separates your chest cavity from your
abdomen, moves down, your chest gets bigger and the pressure inside decreases.
This drop in pressure makes the air go into your lungs.
This air movement is known as inspiration. When you push your
diaphragm up the inside pressure increases and the air is forced out of your
lungs by this pressure. This air movement is called expiration.
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