Which of the following would have the greater effect on vascular resistance?
A) doubling the length of a blood vessel
B) decreasing the diameter of a blood vessel by ½
C) Neither would be greater.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Vascular resistance is inversely proportional to the fourth power of the radius of the blood vessel. Therefore, any decrease in the radius of a blood vessel would lead to a significant increase in vascular resistance. Doubling the length of a blood vessel would have a lesser effect on vascular resistance as it is only directly proportional to the length of the vessel.

Which of the Following Would Have the Greater Effect on Vascular