NAME: _______________________ DATE: ____________________

GRADE & SECTION: ______________________ RATING: ___________________

Activity 6
The Rhythm of My Heart
Objectives:
 Measure and describe your pulse (heart rate) after several different activities
 Explain how to use different time intervals to measure your heart rate
Materials:
Stopwatch / timer Data Logbook
KEY CONCEPTS
The heart is a hollow muscular organ, about the size of your fist, which is located in the center of your chest between the
lungs. It is a double pump that pumps on the left and right sides. Every side is divided into two chambers, the atrium and the
ventricle, each of which has left and right portion, totaling to four chambers altogether. The top chamber is the atrium (plural:
atria). The bottom chamber is called the ventricle. The valve acts as a one-way door, allowing blood to flow either forward into
the next chamber, or out of the heart.

Procedure:
1. Sit quietly for a few minutes before beginning the activity.
2. When you are ready, place your first two fingers either on your neck or on the inside of your wrist and locate your pulse.
3. Once you find your pulse, start the watch, and for 60 seconds, count the number of beats you feel. That is your pulse.
4. Try the experiment again, but this time count for only 30 seconds. When you are done, multiply your count by two. Compare
your pulses.
5. Repeat by counting for 15 seconds and multiplying your count by four, then counting for 10 seconds and multiplying by six,
and so on.
6. Once you have determined your resting pulse, go to a place where you can exercise vigorously for at least one minute.
Exercise of this sort might include a fast jog, running stairs, skipping rope, or doing pushups. When you are done, you should
be breathing hard.
7. Choose the length of the test you wish to perform and find your pulse again.
8. Compare your resting pulse with your pulse after exercise.
9. After the activity, record your observations and answer the guide questions.
Guide Questions:
Q20. What was your calculated resting pulse?
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Q21. What was your pulse after exercising?
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Q22. How would you differentiate your heart rates before and after exercising?
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Q23. What is the advantage of timing for a full minute to find your pulse?
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If you know that you have a serious medical condition, do not perform this activity.
Q24. What is the advantage of timing over a shorter period of time, especially when you have just finished exercising?
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Q25. According to statistics, the maximum heart rate should be 220 minus a person's age. How would you interpret your
highest heart rate in relation to that given number?
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