Final answer:
To measure the volume of medication, you should record your reading to the nearest 0.1 mL by estimating the position of the meniscus between scale divisions. Use the correct metric abbreviation for liter (L) and note that 1 L equals 1,000 mL. Milliliters (mL) are the standard unit for measuring small volumes in health settings.
Step-by-step explanation:
When measuring the volume of medication in a syringe or a graduated cylinder, precision is of utmost importance. The measurements are typically made to the nearest 0.1 mL, since the smallest scale division is 1 mL. For an accurate reading, you look at the bottom of the meniscus, which is the curved surface of the liquid. According to the rules about leading and trailing zeros in measurements, decimal numbers like 21.6 should be recorded as such, without adding unnecessary zeros. The digit beyond the smallest scale division—such as the 6 in the example 21.6—should be an estimate based on its placement between the two marks (21 and 22 mL marks).
The use of correct units and their abbreviations is also critical in health-related measurements. The base unit liter is abbreviated as L, not as 1-L, so milliliters are denoted as mL. When you convert from liters to milliliters, you multiply by 1,000, as milliliters are much smaller. For example, 1 liter (L) is equal to 1,000 milliliters (mL).
For small capacities, such as medicines, milliliters are the standard unit of measurement, as liters are reserved for much larger volumes. Remember, the use of the correct format for metric abbreviations is important: meter is represented as m, but liter is abbreviated as L.