Lesson T1.4.2

T1.4.2 Breathing and lung volume Quiz: KS3 Biology, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T1.4.2, Breathing and lung volume: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Biology (National Curriculum), Unit 1: Structure and function of living organisms, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What happens to the pressure in the chest when a person breathes in?

    • The pressure rises, so air flows in
    • The pressure does not change
    • The pressure falls, so air flows in
    • The pressure rises, so air flows out

  2. What does the diaphragm do when a person breathes in?

    • It shrinks to a smaller size
    • It moves up and stops
    • It contracts and flattens
    • It relaxes and domes upwards

  3. What do the ribs do when a person breathes in?

    • They move up and out
    • They fold together
    • They move down and in
    • They stay still

  4. What happens to the chest when a person breathes out?

    • The lungs pump blood out of the chest and into the veins
    • The chest volume decreases, so pressure increases and air is pushed out
    • The chest volume stays the same while the lungs fill with air
    • The chest volume increases, so air is sucked in quickly

  5. What does a spirometer measure?

    • The concentration of oxygen in the blood
    • The volume of air breathed in and out
    • The speed of the blood
    • The temperature of breath

  6. What is the name for the volume of air breathed in and out in one normal breath?

    • Residual volume
    • Tidal volume
    • Vital capacity
    • Cardiac output

  7. A spirometer records 3.2 litres of air breathed out after a deep breath. What is this lung volume?

    • 32 litres
    • 0.32 litres
    • 0.032 litres
    • 3.2 litres

  8. A person's lung volume increases from 2.5 litres to 3.5 litres during a breath. By how much does it increase?

    • 0.5 litres
    • 2 litres
    • 1 litre
    • 6 litres

  9. Why does lung volume increase when a person breathes in?

    • The trachea gets shorter as the chest expands
    • The alveoli shrink as the chest is pulled in
    • The lungs fill with blood and get bigger in size
    • The ribcage and diaphragm move, enlarging the chest cavity

  10. Which statement describes breathing in using the pressure model?

    • Air moves from outside, where pressure is higher, into the lungs, where pressure is lower
    • Air does not move because the pressure inside equals the pressure outside
    • Air moves into the chest only after the lungs have fully emptied out
    • Air moves from the lungs, where pressure is higher, out to the air outside

  11. What is a pressure model used to explain?

    • How bones grow and repair after injury
    • How digestion starts in the mouth and stomach
    • How gases move in and out of the lungs
    • How cells divide to make new tissue

  12. What effect does exercise have on breathing?

    • It has no effect on breathing
    • It increases breathing rate and depth
    • It decreases the breathing rate
    • It stops breathing for a while

  13. Why does the body need a higher breathing rate during exercise?

    • Muscles need less energy so the breathing slows
    • Muscles need more oxygen and produce more carbon dioxide
    • Muscles store carbon dioxide in the lungs for later
    • Muscles produce extra oxygen during the exercise

  14. A student's lung volume is 4.0 litres after a deep breath and 1.5 litres after a breath out. How much air moved?

    • 1.5 litres
    • 5.5 litres
    • 2.5 litres
    • 4.0 litres

  15. Why is the pressure model useful for explaining breathing?

    • It links chest volume changes to pressure changes that move air
    • It shows how cells divide to form new tissues in the body
    • It explains how the heart beats and pumps blood round
    • It explains how food is digested and absorbed in the gut

  16. Which muscles help the ribcage move during breathing?

    • Hamstrings
    • Calf muscles
    • Intercostal muscles
    • Biceps and triceps

  17. Why can air only be drawn in if the chest is enlarged?

    • Air would flow in anyway, whatever the pressure inside the lungs is
    • Pressure inside the lungs must fall below the outside air pressure to draw air in
    • The lungs would fill with blood instead of air and stop working
    • The diaphragm would stop working and the ribs would be pulled in

  18. What is vital capacity?

    • The maximum volume of air a person can breathe out after a deep breath
    • The volume of blood pumped by the heart each minute at rest
    • The volume of air breathed in during a normal, quiet breath
    • The volume of air left in the lungs after breathing out

  19. A scientist measures tidal volume as 0.5 litres at rest and 2.0 litres during exercise. What is the increase?

    • 2.5 litres
    • 4.0 litres
    • 1.5 litres
    • 0.5 litres

  20. Which change in the chest would increase pressure and force air out?

    • The chest gets smaller
    • The chest gets bigger
    • The diaphragm flattens
    • The ribs move up and out

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