Question

If we had 16x greater resistance and airway radius can't be changed, what can you change to increase air flow back to normal? By how much?

a) Increase pressure by 16 times
b) Decrease pressure by 16 times
c) Increase pressure by 4 times
d) Decrease pressure by 4 times

Answer 1

To restore normal airflow when resistance is increased 16 times without changing the airway radius, the pressure must be increased by 16 times, as airflow is directly proportional to the pressure difference across the respiratory system.

Step-by-step explanation:

If the resistance of the respiratory system is increased by 16 times and the airway radius cannot be changed, the airflow can be returned to normal by changing the pressure difference across the respiratory system. To compensate for increased resistance, it is necessary to increase the pressure. According to the relationship described by the formula F = ΔP/R, where F is the flow of gases, ΔP is the pressure difference, and R is the resistance, if R increases, then ΔP must also increase to maintain the same airflow.

As resistance has been increased by 16 times, to maintain the same flow, we need to increase the pressure difference by the same factor. Therefore, the correct answer would be to increase pressure by 16 times, which is option (a).