Very quick query which will probably do what every quick query does. Ha.
Is a spirometer the only way to accurately measure lung capacity?
spirometer
Forum rules
This section is for posts that are directly related to performance, performers, or equipment. Social issues are allowed, as long as they are directly related to those categories. If you see a post that you cannot respond to with respect and courtesy, we ask that you do not respond at all.
This section is for posts that are directly related to performance, performers, or equipment. Social issues are allowed, as long as they are directly related to those categories. If you see a post that you cannot respond to with respect and courtesy, we ask that you do not respond at all.
-
bloke
- Mid South Music
- Posts: 19280
- Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:55 am
- Location: western Tennessee - near Memphis
- Has thanked: 3839 times
- Been thanked: 4085 times
-
Mary Ann
- Posts: 3026
- Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 9:24 am
- Has thanked: 517 times
- Been thanked: 598 times
Re: spirometer
That was a yes.
I'm trying to figure out a way to have something filled with water, blow air into it, and see by the amount of water displaced how much air was blown in, without having the air under pressure at the end.
All these people talk about liters of lung capacity and I have no idea how they arrive at that. Like so-and-so has four liters, and Jake used to have X and ended up with Y. How was that measured?
I'm trying to figure out a way to have something filled with water, blow air into it, and see by the amount of water displaced how much air was blown in, without having the air under pressure at the end.
All these people talk about liters of lung capacity and I have no idea how they arrive at that. Like so-and-so has four liters, and Jake used to have X and ended up with Y. How was that measured?
-
Snake Charmer
- Posts: 152
- Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2020 8:49 am
- Location: Schifferstadt, Germany
- Has thanked: 0
- Been thanked: 69 times
Re: spirometer
Not the most sophisticated scientific way you can figure it out using a home-made breathing bag:
Take a plastic bag, tape it close with a piece of 1/2" garden hose as only opening with roughly 4 or 5 litres capacity. You can insert your mouthpiece into the tube and trying to fill up the bag with one breath. Then make the bag smaller until you can fill it up completely and you can calculate the actual bag size which shows your usable lung capacity. As a long time tuba player you should be able to use 80-90% of your lung for breathing.
And don't worry about bigger or smaller lungs. Sam Pilafian was reported to have a very small lung capacity due to some illness. He just took a breath more often (said Pat Sheridan!)
Take a plastic bag, tape it close with a piece of 1/2" garden hose as only opening with roughly 4 or 5 litres capacity. You can insert your mouthpiece into the tube and trying to fill up the bag with one breath. Then make the bag smaller until you can fill it up completely and you can calculate the actual bag size which shows your usable lung capacity. As a long time tuba player you should be able to use 80-90% of your lung for breathing.
And don't worry about bigger or smaller lungs. Sam Pilafian was reported to have a very small lung capacity due to some illness. He just took a breath more often (said Pat Sheridan!)
...with a song in my heart!