Question

If the rise and fall of your lungs is considered to be simple harmonic motion, how would you relate the period of the motion to your breathing rate (breaths per minute)? Breaths per minute is an angular frequency. The period is the square root of that value. Breaths per minute is a frequency. The period is the square root of that value. Breaths per minute is a frequency. The period is its reciprocal. Breaths per minute is an angular frequency. The period is its reciprocal.

Answer 1

Breaths per minute is a frequency. The period is its reciprocal.

Step-by-step explanation:

In simple harmonic motion, a period (T) is the time taken for one point to start in a position and reach that position again, in other words to complete a cycle or lapse. In this case, a period is the time one takes from starting to inspire the air to releasing all of it from the lungs.

In simple harmonic motion, the frequency (f) is how many times a point completes a cycle or lapse in one unity of time (could be one second, one minute, one hour, etc). In this case, the frequency is how many times one breathes in one minute. This is the breathing rate, since it is breathings per minute. Breaths per minute is a frequency.

Period (T) and frequency (f) relate to each other in the following formulae:
`T=(1)/(f)` or
`f=(1)/(T)` .

Therefore, breaths per minute is a frequency, and since it is related to the period, we say the period is reciprocal to it.