Human lungs transfer oxygen fromair to blood due to cyclic inhaling and exhaling

Question

Human lungs transfer oxygen fromair to blood due to cyclic inhaling and exhaling, but over time, the process can be considered to be steady-state. As air enters the lungs, it contains a large amount of oxygen, and it then leaves the lungs with less oxygen. Meanwhile, when blood enters the lungs, it contains less oxygen but leaves with more. The oxygen can be treated as a nonreacting species that merely transfers from the air to the blood. From the oxygen concentrations and the blood flow rates listed below, what flow rate of air must pass through the lungs (averaged over time)? The flow rate of air can be considered to be the same for the inspired (entering) air as for the expired (exiting) air

Stream 02 O2 Concentration Flow Rate Entering air Exiting air Hniing blood Exiting blood (gmol/L)(L/min) 0.00934 0.00705 0.00670 0.00893 5.0 5.0

Explanation / Answer

O2 concentration in the entering air = 0.00934 M

O2 concentration in the exit air = 0.00705 M

O2 concentration in the entering blood = 0.0067 M

O2 concentration in the exit blood = 0.00893 M

Now, flow rate of enetring and exit air = 5 L/min

Thus, total concentration of O2 taken up by blood per minute = 5*(0.00893 - 0.0067) = 0.01115 M

Concentration difference between the entering air and exit air = 0.00934 - 0.00705 = 0.00229 M

Thus, per minute concentration loss required for air = 0.01115

Hence flow rate of air = 0.01115/0.00229 = 4.87 L

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