Question

The physician prescribed acetaminophen 15 mg/ kg / day q8h for

an 6-year old child who weighs 60lbs and is 2 feet tall. The
patient’s BSA is 0.91 m2. The doctor gave the previous adult a dose
of 30m

Answer 1

To determine the number of active molecules of acetaminophen in a pill and the molecular mass of acetaminophen, one needs to know the compound's molar mass and use Avogadro's number, along with converting the pill's mass from milligrams to grams.

Step-by-step explanation:

The key question here is how to calculate the number of active molecules in a dose of acetaminophen, which is a common medication available over-the-counter for pain and fever, and the molecular mass of the active ingredient, acetaminophen itself, which is a covalent compound. To find the molecular mass (amu) of acetaminophen, C8H9NO2, you would add the atomic masses of each element in the molecule: Carbon (C) has an atomic mass of approximately 12 amu, Hydrogen (H) approximately 1 amu, Nitrogen (N) approximately 14 amu, and Oxygen (O) approximately 16 amu. Since the formula indicates there are 8 Carbon atoms, 9 Hydrogen atoms, one Nitrogen atom, and two Oxygen atoms, the calculation would be as follows:

(8 × 12 amu) + (9 × 1 amu) + (1 × 14 amu) + (2 × 16 amu) = molecular mass of acetaminophen

To calculate the number of active molecules of acetaminophen in a 325 mg pill, you must first convert the mass from milligrams to grams, and then use Avogadro's number (6.022 × 10^23 molecules/mol) to find the number of molecules.