Investigating the Properties of Blood Vessels
Data Collection
Data Processing
Conclusion
An elastic object is defined as, “an object able to resume its normal shape spontaneously after contraction, dilatation, or distortion.” For this experiment, we used weights and their effect on length changes to determine the elastic properties of different blood vessels. We hung different slots of masses to stretch an aorta and pulmonary artery, and then recorded the change in length. Based on our two graphs, there are larger gaps between the two trend lines in the pulmonary artery compared to aorta. This means that adding the weights ...
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Data Processing
Conclusion
An elastic object is defined as, “an object able to resume its normal shape spontaneously after contraction, dilatation, or distortion.” For this experiment, we used weights and their effect on length changes to determine the elastic properties of different blood vessels. We hung different slots of masses to stretch an aorta and pulmonary artery, and then recorded the change in length. Based on our two graphs, there are larger gaps between the two trend lines in the pulmonary artery compared to aorta. This means that adding the weights caused a greater stretch in the pulmonary artery. Our processed data also backs up this conclusion. On average, the initial mass of the aorta was 1.6 cm. After adding and removing all the weights, the final mass was 1.8 cm, which meant that the aorta stretched about 0.2 cm. On the other hand, the pulmonary artery stretched from 1.4 cm to 1.8cm. It stretched 0.4 cm, which is about 0.2 cm longer than the stretch in the aorta. Our percent elasticity changes show us that the original length of the aorta increased by 15% and the pulmonary artery increased by 30%.
Because the aorta’s original length was closer to its final length than the pulmonary artery, it is more elastic. If we continued to add more weight to each blood vessel, both of their final lengths would be even longer, but the length of the pulmonary artery would be more affected. Eventually, both of the vessels will snap and not handle the weight. Because the aorta is more elastic, it most likely can handle more weight than the pulmonary artery until it snaps.
The elasticity of each blood vessel depends on its function. As the main artery of the body, the aorta supplies oxygenated blood to the circulatory system. It passes through the left ventricle and runs down all the way to the front of the backbone. The aorta wall needs to be elastic in order for it to pulse in rhythm with the heartbeat and help blood flow through the body. On the contrary, the pulmonary artery acts as a transporter and not as a supplier. It only needs to carry blood from the right ventricle to the lungs, which does not require it to change and regain its shape as much as the aorta.
Evaluation
