Final answer:
Air conduction should be longer than bone conduction during the Rinne test.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Rinne test, air conduction should be twice as long as bone conduction. In the test, a tuning fork is first placed on the mastoid process behind the ear and the patient indicates when the sound is no longer heard. Then, the tuning fork is immediately moved next to the ear canal so that the sound travels through the air. If the sound is no longer heard through the ear, it indicates a conductive hearing deficit. This suggests that the sound is better conducted through the temporal bone than through the ossicles of the middle ear. Therefore, air conduction should be longer than bone conduction in the Rinne test.