Study for the Respiratory Therapy Test. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions, featuring hints and explanations. Prepare for your exam successfully!

Multiple Choice

If the tube radius doubles while flow and other factors remain constant, Flow increases by what factor according to Flow = ΔP × r^4?

The key idea here is that flow in a tube is proportional to the radius to the fourth power. If the radius doubles, the r^4 term becomes (2r)^4 = 16 r^4. With ΔP and other factors held constant, flow scales with r^4, so it increases by a factor of 16. So doubling the radius yields a 16-fold increase in flow. The other options don’t fit because they reflect smaller power changes or no change, but the r^4 relationship means a fourfold-power boost: 2^4 equals 16.

The key idea here is that flow in a tube is proportional to the radius to the fourth power. If the radius doubles, the r^4 term becomes (2r)^4 = 16 r^4. With ΔP and other factors held constant, flow scales with r^4, so it increases by a factor of 16.

So doubling the radius yields a 16-fold increase in flow. The other options don’t fit because they reflect smaller power changes or no change, but the r^4 relationship means a fourfold-power boost: 2^4 equals 16.