Final answer:
The flow rate of air entering the lungs will increase with a greater pressure difference between the atmosphere and the lungs when the airways maintain their diameter.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a greater pressure difference is generated between the atmosphere and the lungs, and the airways maintain their diameter, the flow rate of air entering the lungs will increase. This is in accordance with the principles of fluid dynamics as described by Bernoulli's principle and Poiseuille's law, which indicates a direct relationship between the pressure difference across a tube and the flow rate of fluid through that tube when the diameter is constant. In the context of the lungs, when the pressure difference is higher, air moves more rapidly into the lungs to equalize the pressure, thus increasing the flow rate.
In scenarios where the lungs become stiff and less pliable or when there is increased resistance in the lung, the ease of airflow is affected, which can alter the flow rate. However, since the question specifies that the airways maintain their diameter, these factors do not apply to the initial scenario, and so the flow rate would indeed increase with a greater pressure difference.