Question

Which one of the lung capacities is the smallest?

a. VC
b. IC
c. TLC
d. FRC

Answer 1

FRC is the smallest among the listed lung capacities.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Functional Residual Volume (FRC), Total Lung Capacity (TLC), Vital Capacity (VC), Inspiratory Capacity (IC) can be determined as,

1. FRC = ERV + RV

2. TLC = ERV+ RV + IRV + TV

3. VC = ERV + IRV + TV

4. IC = IRV + TV

where,

ERV - Expiratory Reserve Volume,

TV- Tidal Volume,

IRV - Inspiratory Reserve Volume,

RV - Residual Volume

Once the values are calculated based on the above mentioned formulas, it can be noted that, FRC is the smallest among the listed four.