Question

A serum potassium (MW 39) is 19.5mg/100mL. This value is equal to how many mEq/L

Answer 1

A serum potassium concentration of 19.5 mg/100mL is equivalent to 5 mEq/L, where the conversion involves dividing the mass of potassium by its molecular weight and then multiplying by 10.

Step-by-step explanation:

To convert the concentration of serum potassium from mg/100mL to mEq/L, we first need to calculate the number of milliequivalents (mEq). One equivalent of potassium ions (K+) is the amount that would combine with or displace 1 mole of hydrogen ions (H+). The molecular weight (MW) of potassium is 39 g/mol. To find mEq, the formula is:

milligrams × 10 ÷ molecular weight = mEq/L

In this case:

19.5 mg × 10 ÷ 39 = 5 mEq/L

Thus, a serum potassium concentration of 19.5 mg/100mL is equal to 5 mEq/L.