Recall that the resistance of a vessel to fluid flow is inversely proportional t

Question

Recall that the resistance of a vessel to fluid flow is inversely proportional to the radius of the vessel to the fourth power.

Part A

By what factor would a resistor representing the aorta change if the aorta radius of a person was 0.20 times what it had been years earlier?

Part B

If the pressure drop across the aorta had originally been 5 mmHg with normal blood flow, what would the pressure drop now be in order to have the same flow rate? Note that the blood pressure will have to increase to maintain the same flow rate.

Explanation / Answer

Part A

resistance will increase as the radius is decresed, and it will increase by 1/(0.2^4) = 625 times resistance will increase

Part B

since resistance has increased 625 times, so to maintain the same flow rate pressure will have to increase the same time i.e. 625 times

=> new blood pressure = 625*5 = 3125 mmHg

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse R
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.