Body Atlas

How You Breathe Out · Lungs

How much air do the lungs hold?

A normal breath uses a small fraction of your capacity.

The simple answer

A quiet breath moves about half a litre of air. Your lungs can hold around six. Almost all of your breathing happens in a small, comfortable slice of a much bigger range.

Go deeper

There's more: a normal breath uses a small fraction of your capacity. The full explanation — and the interactive version you can tap and quiz yourself on — lives in the app.

Explore this concept in Body Atlas →

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