Tidal Volume vs. Vital Capacity: Understanding Lung Capacity

Tidal volume (TV): This is the volume of air that moves in and out of the lungs with each normal breath. It typically ranges from 500 to 600 milliliters (mL) in healthy adults.

Vital capacity (VC): This is the maximum volume of air that can be forcibly expelled from the lungs after taking the deepest possible breath. It typically ranges from 4,500 to 5,500 mL in healthy adults.

The vital lung capacity is significantly larger than the tidal volume because it represents the maximum volume of air that can be expelled from the lungs, while the tidal volume is the volume of air moved in and out with each normal breath.