Final answer:
To find out how many tablets of medication to administer, a ratio and proportion calculation is used. For a 3.4mg dose with 1.2mg per tablet, about 2.83 tablets are needed, which rounds up to 3 tablets.
Step-by-step explanation:
A patient is to receive 3.4mg of a medication, and the medication is supplied in tablets of 1.2mg each. To determine how many tablets should be administered, we can set up a proportion:
1.2mg 3.4mg
------ = -----
1 tab x tabs
By cross-multiplying, we have:
(1.2mg) * (x tabs) = (3.4mg) * (1 tab)
1.2mg * x = 3.4mg
x = 3.4mg / 1.2mg
x ≈ 2.83
Since we cannot administer a fraction of a tablet, we round up to the nearest whole tablet, so the patient should be given 3 tablets.