What is the normal respiratory rate for an adult?

• A. 12-20 breaths per minute
• B. 40-60 breaths per minute
• C. 15-30 breaths per minute
• D. 25-50 breaths per minute

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is knowing what a healthy resting breathing rate looks like in an adult. At rest, a adult should typically breathe about 12 to 20 times per minute. This range reflects normal ventilation that matches the body's resting metabolism. Rates higher than this at rest indicate tachypnea and potential issues such as fever, pain, hypoxia, or respiratory or metabolic stress; rates well above 20—like 25, 40, or 50 breaths per minute—are not considered normal resting rates. During exercise or anxiety, the rate can rise, but the question is about resting breathing. To estimate it, you can count breaths for a full minute or count for 30 seconds and multiply by two, making sure the person is calm and not talking.