The volume of air moved in or out of the lungs during one normal quiet breath is called the
- A. vital capacity
- B. tidal volume
- C. residual volume
- D. total lung capacity
Explanation
The tidal volume of an adult at rest is about 500 cm3, of which roughly 150 cm3 stays in the airways as dead space and never reaches the alveoli. Vital capacity is the much larger volume, around 4,500 cm3, that can be moved between the deepest possible inspiration and the fullest expiration. The two are commonly confused because both are measured on the same spirometer trace.