Question

A children's liquid cold medicine has a specific gravity of 1.23. If a child is to take 1.5 tsp in a dose, what is the mass (in grams) of the cold medicine?

Answer 1

Assume 1 tsp is approximately can hold 5 mL liquid.

Given the dose of medicine = 1.5 tsp

Converting 1.5 tsp to mL:

$1.5 tsp * \frac{5 mL}{1 tsp}$ = 7.5 mL

Given the specific gravity of the medicine = 1.23

That means density of the medicine with respect to water will be 1.23

As the density of water is 1 g/mL

We can take density of the medicine to be 1.23 g/mL

Calculating the mass of medicine in grams:

$7.5 mL * \frac{1.23 g}{mL} =9.225 g$

9.225 g medicine is present in one dose.

Answer 2

1 tsp contains medicine = 5 mL  

So,1.5 tsp contains medicine = 1.5 tsp x 5ml  

                                              = 7.5 ml  

Specific gravity = 1.23 g ml⁻¹  

Mass of the cold medicine= 7.5 × 1.23  g

                                             = 9.2 g

So, mass of the cold medicine was found to be 9.2 g.

So, a children's liquid cold medicine that has a specific gravity of 1.23. If a child take 1.5 tsp in a dose, the mass (in grams) of the cold medicine was found to be 9.2 g .