A resting adult has mean arterial pressure

PHYSICS · Multi-part · Fermi University Physics · Biophysics & Medical Physics · Bioelectricity, the senses and the physics of the body · Bioelectricity, the senses and the physics of the body

Forces, Machines and Signals, Ch Bones, blood and body size

Problem

90\,\mathrm{mmHg}

, cardiac output

4.5\,\mathrm{L\,min^{-1}}

, and arterial compliance

C_a = 1.0\,\mathrm{mL\,mmHg^{-1}}

. Take

1\,\mathrm{mmHg} = 133.3\,\mathrm{Pa}

. ((a)) Calculate the peripheral resistance

R_p = \bar p/\bar Q

in SI units. ((b)) Calculate the windkessel time constant

\tau = R_pC_a

. ((c)) If systolic pressure is

120\,\mathrm{mmHg}

and diastole lasts

0.50\,\mathrm{s}

, predict the pressure at the end of diastole, assuming exponential decay with this time constant.

Browse the problem library