What is Tidal volume? Find out the Tidal volume (approximate value) for a healthy human in an hour.

• Tidal volume (TV or Vₜ) is the volume of air inhaled or exhaled during a single, normal (resting) breath

• In a healthy adult at rest, tidal volume averages about:

  • ~500 mL per breath for males

  • ~400 mL per breath for females

• Respiratory (breathing) rate in adults at rest is typically around 12–20 breaths per minute, averaging ~12–16

Estimating hourly tidal volume:

• For a typical adult male:
  ‧ TV ≈ 500 mL × 12 breaths/min = 6,000 mL per minute
  ‧ In one hour: 6,000 mL × 60 min = 360,000 mL = 360 L

• For a typical adult female:
  ‧ TV ≈ 400 mL × 12 breaths/min = 4,800 mL per minute
  ‧ In one hour: 4,800 mL × 60 min = 288,000 mL = 288 L

Thus, a healthy adult inhales and exhales approximately 300–360 litres of air per hour during quiet breathing.