Final answer:
To administer medication to a 20 kg dog at a dose of 50 mg/kg with 2 g tablets, convert the tablet mass from grams to milligrams, multiply the dog's weight by the dosage to find the total required dose, and divide by the tablet's mg amount to find the number of tablets needed, which is 1 tablet when rounded up.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the number of tablets you need to give a 20 kg dog that requires 50 mg/kg of medication, we must perform unit conversions and simple multiplication. Since the tablets are 2 g each and the dog needs 50 mg/kg, we first convert the tablet's mass to mg by multiplying 2 g by 1000 mg/g, which equals 2000 mg per tablet. Next, we calculate the total required dose for the dog by multiplying the dog's weight in kg (20 kg) by the dose in mg/kg (50 mg/kg), resulting in 1000 mg. Dividing the total required dose (1000 mg) by the amount of medication in one tablet (2000 mg) gives us 0.5, which is the number of tablets needed. Because you cannot give half a tablet, you would round up to the nearest whole tablet, which is 1 tablet.
Using units and proper conversion is crucial in medication dosage to ensure safety and efficacy. In this example the ability to convert from grams to milligrams is vital as dosages may be prescribed in a different unit than the form in which the medication is supplied, and improper conversion could lead to underdosing or overdosing.