The aortic pressure exceeds the pulm onary pressure by a factor of about 5. According to the Law of LaPlace, you would expect
A) The left ventricle to have a greater wall tension than the right ventricle during contraction
B) Because of its greater thickness, the left ventricle has the same wall tension as the right ventricle
C) Because of its greater thickness, the left ventricle has less wall tension than the right ventricle
D) Because of the different thickness, no conclusion can be made about relative wall tension between right and left ventricles
E) The left ventricle ejects less blood than the right ventricle

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the Law of Laplace, wall tension is directly proportional to pressure and radius. Since the aortic pressure is greater than the pulmonary pressure, the left ventricle, which pumps blood into the aorta, will have a greater wall tension than the right ventricle, which pumps blood into the pulmonary artery.

The Aortic Pressure Exceeds the Pulm Onary Pressure by a Factor