Final answer:
After 5 hours, there are 75 milligrams of saline present in the patient's bloodstream, calculated by evaluating the decay function f(h) = 300(1/2)^(h/2.5) at h = 5.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking how many milligrams of saline are present in a patient's blood after 5 hours, given the function f(h) = 300(1/2)^(h/2.5) to model the decay of saline in the bloodstream over time. To find the answer, we must plug h = 5 into the equation and solve for f(5).
Step 1: Substitute h with 5 into the equation:
f(5) = 300(1/2)^(5/2.5)
Step 2: Simplify the exponent:
5 / 2.5 = 2
Step 3: Now raise (1/2) to the power of 2:
(1/2)^2 = 1/4
Step 4: Multiply 300 by 1/4:
300 * 1/4 = 75 mg
Therefore, after 5 hours, there are 75 milligrams of saline present in the patient's bloodstream.