Remember the law of conservation of mass. The human body uses cellular respiration to make energy. Using the chemical equation for cellular respiration, explain how the amounts of oxygen and carbon dioxide inhaled by the lungs is different from the amounts exhaled. Explain your answer in 1-2 sentences.
According to the law of conservation of mass, matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. In cellular respiration, oxygen is consumed and carbon dioxide is produced, resulting in a lower amount of oxygen inhaled compared to exhaled and a higher amount of carbon dioxide exhaled compared to inhaled.
The law of conservation of mass states that matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. In cellular respiration, the chemical equation shows that oxygen is consumed and carbon dioxide is produced. Hence, the amounts of oxygen inhaled are greater than that exhaled, while the amounts of carbon dioxide exhaled are greater than that inhaled.
The chemical equation for cellular respiration is C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy. The human body inhales more oxygen than it exhales because oxygen is used up during cellular respiration, while the amount of carbon dioxide exhaled is greater as it is a waste product produced through the breakdown of glucose.
