1. The average respiratory rate for an adult is 16 breaths per minute. About how many times does an adult breathe in one week? A year? (Hint: 1 week \( =7 \) days; 1 year \( =365 \) days)

An adult takes about 16 breaths per minute, which means in one hour, they breathe around 960 times (16 breaths/min × 60 minutes). Over the span of a week, that totals approximately 672,000 breaths (960 breaths/hour × 24 hours/day × 7 days). Extend that out to a year, and we're looking at about 35,040,000 breaths (960 breaths/hour × 24 hours/day × 365 days). That's a whole lot of breathing! If you’re tracking your own breathing rates for some curiosity or health monitoring, keep in mind that factors like exercise, sleep, and emotional state can affect how often you breathe. Staying aware of these fluctuations can help you understand your respiratory health better!