Heart Rate
Recommended for grades 10–16.
Introduction
The circulatory system is responsible for the internal transport of many vital substances in humans, including oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nutrients. The components of the circulatory system include the heart, blood vessels, and blood. Heartbeats result from electrical stimulation of the heart cells by the pacemaker, located in the heart’s inner wall of the right atrium. Although the electrical activity of the pacemaker originates from within the heart, the rhythmic sequence of impulses produced by the pacemaker is influenced by nerves outside the heart.
Objectives
In this Preliminary Activity, you will use a Heart Rate Monitor to determine a subject’s heart rate. After completing the Preliminary Activity, you will first use reference sources to find out more about the heart, the cardiovascular system, and heart rate before you choose to investigate a researchable question dealing with heart rate. Depending on sensor availability and your interest, you might decide to use another sensor, such as a Blood Pressure Sensor, in addition to a Heart Rate Monitor. Some topics to consider in your reference search are:
- heart
- heart rate
- cardiovascular system
- physical fitness
- maximum cardiac rate
- homeostasis
- sympathetic nervous system
- parasympathetic nervous system
- heart-rate recovery time
- fitness index
- baroreceptor reflex
- diving reflex
Sensors and Equipment
This investigation requires each of the following Vernier sensors and equipment (unless otherwise noted):
Additional Requirements
You may also need an interface and software for data collection. What do I need for data collection?
Download Experiment Preview
The student-version preview includes:
- Step-by-step instructions for the Preliminary Activity
- List of materials and equipment
Note: The experiment preview of the Preliminary Activity does not include essential teacher information, safety tips, or sample data. Instructions for Logger Pro and other software (such as LabQuest App or TI handheld software, where available) are on the CD that accompanies the book. We strongly recommend that you purchase the book before performing experiments.
Standards Correlations
No standards correlations for this experiment.
Included in the Lab Book
Vernier lab books include a CD with word-processing files of the student instructions, essential teacher information, suggested answers, sample data and graphs, and more.