Final answer:
A patient with a blood pressure of 120/80 has a systolic pressure of 120 mm Hg and a diastolic pressure of 80 mm Hg, with the correct answer being that the systolic pressure is 120.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a patient's blood pressure is 120/80, it tells us that the systolic pressure is 120 mm Hg and the diastolic pressure is 80 mm Hg. Therefore, option c. 'The systolic pressure is 120' is the correct answer. The systolic pressure represents the arterial pressure resulting from the ejection of blood during heartbeats, while the diastolic pressure represents the arterial pressure when the heart is at rest between beats. A typical blood pressure reading is given as the systolic number over the diastolic number, and in this case, 120/80 is often considered within the range of normal adult blood pressure.