PHARMACEUTICS I Pharmaceutical Calculation PHRM 210

Density
Density (d) is mass per unit volume of a substance. It usually expressed as grams
per cubic centimeter (g/cc). Density = Mass Volume

Gram is defined as the mass of 1 cc of water at 4oC, so the density of water is 1

g/cc. According to USP, 1 mL may be used as the equivalent of 1 cc. Therefore, The
density of water may be expressed as 1 g/mL.
The weight of 1 mL of mercury is 13.6 g, hence, its density is 13.6 g/mL

If 25.0g of olive oil are required for a prescription, what volume should be used?
(Density of olive oil=0.910g/mL )

25.0g x

1 mL 0.910g

= 27.5 mL
Problems: 1. Calculate the weight of 120 ml of oil whose density is 0.9624g/ml.
What will be the weight of 5 liter of that oil? 2. What is the volume of 2.0 kg of
glycerin if the density of glycerin is 1.25g/ml? 3. Find out the volume in liter of
an oil whose density is 0.75g/ml and the total weight of that oil is given 20.5 kg.
Specific gravity
Specific gravity is the ratio, expressed decimally, of the weight of a substance to
the weight of an equal volume of a substance chosen as a standard. Weight of
substance Specific gravity = Weight of equal volume of water Water is used as the
standard for the specific gravity of liquid and solids. The most useful standard
for gases is hydrogen, although sometimes air is used.
Both substance should be at the same temperature or the temperature of each being
definitely known. According to USP- the standard temperature for specific gravity
is 250C. At 25ºC and 1 atmosphere of pressure, one milliliter of distilled water
weighs one gram. Therefore, the specific gravity of water is established as 1.
Specific gravity= Weight of the substance Weight of an equal volume of water

Because one milliliter of water weighs one gram:

Number of grams of the substance Specific gravity= Number of milliliters of the
substance
Specific gravity of liquids 1. Known weight and volume: Calculating the specific
gravity of a liquid when its weight and volume are known. Problem: If 54.96ml of an
oil weight 52.78g, what is the specific gravity of the oil? Answer: 54.96 ml of an
oil weight 52.78 g Specific gravity of oil = 52.78(g)/54.96(g) = 0.9603
Problem: If a pint of a certain liquid weights 601g, what is the specific gravity
of the liquid? Answer: 1 pint = 473 ml Specific gravity of liquid = 601(g)/ 473(g)
= 1.27
2. Specific gravity bottle: To calculate the specific gravity of a liquid by means
of a specific gravity bottle, the container is filled and weighed first with water
and then with liquid. Problem: A specific gravity bottle weighs 23.66g. When filled
with water, it weights 72.95g, when filled with another liquid, it weights 73.56g.
What is the specific gravity of the liquid? Answer: 73.56g ± 23.66 g = 49.90 g of
liquid 72.95g ± 23.66 g = 49.29 g of water Specific gravity of liquid = 49.90g /
49.29 g =1.012
3. Displacement or plummet method: Calculating the specific gravity of a liquid
determined by the displacement or plummet method is based on the Archimedes¶
principle. Archimedes¶ principle: A body immersed in a liquid displaces an amount
of the liquid equal to its own volume and suffers an apparent loss in weight equal
to the weight of the displaced liquid. Problem: A glass plummet weighs 12.64g in
air, 8.57g when immersed in water, and 9.12g when immersed in an oil. Calculate the
specific gravity of the oil. Answer: 0.865
Specific gravity of solids 1. Solids heavier than and insoluble in water: Weight of
solid in air/weight of water that it displaces when immersed in it. Problem: A
piece of glass weighs 38.525g in air and 23.525g when immersed in water. What is
its specific gravity? Answer: 38.525g ± 23.525g = 15g of displaced water (weight of
an equal volume of water). Specific gravity of glass = 38.525g / 15g = 2.568
2. Solids heavier than and soluble in water: The weights of equal volumes of any
two substances are proportional to their specific gravities.

Problem: A crystal of a chemical salt weighs 6.423g in air and 2.873g when immersed
in an oil having a specific gravity of 0.858. What is the specific gravity of the
salt? Answer: 6.423g±2.873g = 3.550g of displaced oil. Wt. of displaced oil/ Wt. of
salt in air = Sp. gr. of oil / Sp. Gr. of salt Sp. Gr. of salt= (0.858 x 6.423) /
3.550 = 1.55
Specific volume
Specific volume is defined as an abstract number (has no unit) representing the
ratio of the volume of a substance to the volume of an equal weight of another
substance taken as a standard in same temperature. Water is standard for liquids
and solids. Problem: If 25g of glycerin measure 20ml and 25g of water measure 25ml
under the same conditions. What is the specific volume of glycerin? Answer: The
specific volume of the glycerin= vol. of glycerin / vol. of water = 20ml /25ml =
0.8
Problem: Calculate Specific volume of a syrup, 91.0ml of which weigh 107.16g.
Answer: 0.85
Percentage Calculations
The term percent and its corresponding sign (%) mean ³by the hundred´ or ³in a
hundred´, and percentage means ³rate per hundred´.

Percent weight-in-volume (W/V): W/V or Weight/Volume percent is defined as the

number of grams in 100 milliliters of solution or liquid preparation. Example: A 10
percent (w/v) potassium chloride (KCl) elixir would contain 10 grams of potassium
chloride in every 100 milliliters of KCl elixir.
Percent volume-in-volume (V/V) V/V percent or Volume/Volume percent is defined as
the number of milliliters in every 100 ml of solution or liquid preparation.
Example: A 70% (v/v) alcoholic solution would contain 70 milliliters of alcohol in
every 100 ml of solution. Percent weight-in-weight (W/W) W/W percent or
Weight/Weight percent is defined as the number of grams in 100 grams of a solid
preparation. Example: A 5 percent (w/w) boric acid ointment would contain 5 grams
of boric acid in each 100 grams of boric acid ointment.
Drug Concentrations Expressed As Percent(%)
Example:
Weight/Weight = grams of solute 100 g of prep. 1 % = 1g of solute 100 g of solution

Volume/Volume =

mL of solute 100 mL

1%=

1 mL of solute 100 mL

Weight/Volume =

grams of solute 100 mL

1 % = 1 g of solute 100 mL
Dilution and concentration
Pharmacy personnel will often go to
ingredient that is needed to make a
amount required is so small that it
balance. It is easier to measure an
balance, weigh the ingredients, and
preparations is an important aspect
a stock solution to obtain the amount of active
preparation. This is especially true if the
cannot be accurately weighed on a torsion
amount of stock solution than to set up a
compound the entire product. The use of stock
of pharmacy.
Formulas: a. Volumes and weights must be expressed in the same units. b.
Concentrations must be expressed in the same units. c. Formula: V C = V1 C1 (1) V =
Volume of stock preparation (2) C = Concentration of stock preparation (3) V1 =
Volume of desired preparation (4) C1 = Concentration of desired preparation d.
Formula: W C = W1 C1 (1) W = Weight of stock preparation (2) C = Concentration of
stock preparation (3) W1 = Weight of desired preparation (4) C1 = Concentration of
desired preparation
Problem: If a syrup containing 65% (w/v) of sucrose is evaporated to 85% of its
volume, what percent (w/v) of sucrose will it contain? Answer: Let the volume of
syrup 100ml. 100ml syrup evaporated to 85% of its volume, so we will have 85ml
85ml/100ml=65%/X% X%= 76.47% or 76% (answer)
Problem: How many milliliters of water should be added to a pint of a 5% (w/v)
solution of boric acid to make a 2% (w/v) solution? Answer: 1pint = 473 ml
Therefore, 2%/5% = 473ml/ Xml BX= 1182.5 ml So water (answer) should be added
(1182.5-473)ml= 709.5ml
Problem: How many milliliters of a 1:200 silver nitrate solution would be needed to
make 2000 ml of a 1:4000 solution? Answer: V C = V1 C1 (X) ( 1/200 ) = (2000 ml)
( 1/4000 ) (X) (4000/200)=(2000ml) (4000/4000) 20 X = 2000 ml X = 100 ml (answer)
Problem: How many milliliters of a 2% stock solution of potassium permanganate
(KMn04) would be needed to compound 120 ml 0.2% solution of potassium
permanganate ? Answer V C = V1 C1 (X) (2%) = (120 ml) (.02%) 2 X = 2.4 X = 1.2 ml
(answer)
Problem: How many grams of 14% zinc oxide ointment can be made from one pound of
20% zinc oxide ointment? Answer: 1 pound = 454 gm W C = W1 C1 (X) (14%) = (454 g)
(20%) 14 X = 9080 X = 648.57grams (answer)
Problem: How many milliliters of 10% povidone-iodine solution would be needed to
make 4 liters of a 1:2000 povidone-iodine solution?

Answer: V C = V1 C1 (X) (10%) = (4 L) ( 1/2000 ) Change 4 liters to milliliters

Change 10% to a ratio by placing the 10 over 100. (X) (10/100) = (4000 ml) ( 1/2000
) (X)(20,000/100)=(4000 ml)(2000/2000) 200 X = 4000 ml X = 20 ml (answer)
Solve the Problems: 1. How many milliliters of a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution
would be needed to make 120 ml of 1% hydrogen peroxide solution? How many
milliliters of water should be added? [40ml & 80ml] 2. The strength of real acetic
acid is 33% (W/V). Using this, prepare 200ml of a solution of acetic acid
containing 4% (W/V) of real acetic acid. [24.2ml] 3. Prepare 200 ml of a solution
of ammonia containing 4% by weight of ammonia. The strong solution of ammonia
contains 32.5% of ammonia W/W. [24.62gm] 4. Prepare 400ml of a 5% solution and
label with direction for preparing 2 liter quantities of a 1 in 2000 solution.
[20gm & 20ml up to 2 liter]
Alcohol dilution:
Problems: Prepare 400 ml of 45% alcohol from 95% alcohol. Volume of stronger
alcohol to be used= 400x45 95 = 189.47 ml = 190 ml 190 ml of 95% alcohol is diluted
with water to produce 400ml. The strength of dilute alcohol will be 45%.
Solve the Problems: 1. Prepare [378.95ml] 600 ml of 60% alcohol from 95% alcohol.

2. Prepare 500 ml of 40% alcohol from 95% alcohol. [210.52] 3. How much water
should be mixed with 5000 ml of 85.5% (V/V) alcohol to make 50% ( V/V) alcohol?
[3550ml of water] 4. How many milliliters of water must be added to 5 gallons of
100% isopropyl alcohol to make a 70% dilute Isopropyl alcohol? (1 gallon= 3785 ml)
5. How many milliliters of distilled water must be added to one gallon of 100%
Isopropyl Alcohol to make a 70% alcohol? 6. A 25% solution of ethyl alcohol may be
used to bathe a small child for the purpose of cooling and reducing fever. How many
milliliters of ethyl alcohol (95%) and how many milliliters of distilled water must
be combined to make two quarts of the 25% ethyl alcohol solution? (1 quart = 946
ml)
Compounding of same formula

Problem: How many grams of zinc oxide are needed to make 240 grams of a 4% (w/w)
zinc oxide ointment? Answer: IF 4 g ZnO = 100 g Oint 240 g Oint B 100 X = 960 B X =
9.6 g of zinc oxide THEN X g ZnO

(answer)
Problem: How many milliliters of a 5% (w/v) boric acid solution can be made from 20
grams of boric acid? Answer:

(answer) Problem: How many milliliters of paraldehyde are needed to make 120 ml of
a 10% (v/v) paraldehyde solution? Answer: 12ml
One percent Method: Problem: How many grams of ephedrine sulfate are needed to make
120 ml of a 2% (w/v) ephedrine sulfate solution? Answer: 1gm dissolved in 100ml =
1% w/v solution 2gm dissolved in 100ml = 2% w/v solution For 120ml solution the
quantity of ephedrine sulfate required2.4 gm of ephedrine sulfate needed. 100
(answer) Problem: Prepare 500 ml of a 2 in 4000 solution of potassium permanganate.
Answer: 50mg 2x120 =
Problem: Rx
KMnO4 Distilled water qsad 0.02% 240

ml

How many grams of potassium permanganate (KMnO4) are needed to compound the above
prescription? Answer: 0.048 grams Problem: Prepare 150ml of 4% (W/V) potassium
permanganate and label the directions for preparing 500ml of 1 in 2500 solution.
Solve the Problems: If 5 g of a chemical is dissolved in enough water to make the
preparation measure one liter, what is the percentage strength of the solution? How
many milliliters of a 0.02% W/V solution can be made from 2.5 g of a chemical?
Normal saline solution contains 0.9% W/V NaCl. How many grams of sodium chloride
should be used to make 1.5 liters of normal saline? How many grams of strong silver
protein (SSP) are required to make 250 ml of a 0.25% (w/v) solution?
OVERAGE: Overage means excess. Usually companies use certain percent (within the
specification limit) excess of active ingredient in their preparation. Problem:
Beximco uses raw material of paracetamol in which purity of paracetamol is 94% for
manufacturing Napa tablet (500mg paracetamol). The batch size of Napa is 50,000
Tablets. Calculate the amount of Raw Materials of Paracetamol to produce a batch of
NAPA. If Beximco uses 3% overage then calculate the amount of RM of paracetamol to
manufacture a batch of NAPA.
"PARTS-PER" NOTATION The parts-per notation is used in some areas of science and
engineering because it does not require conversion from weights or volumes to more
chemically relevant units such as normality or molarity. It describes the amount of
one substance in another. It is the ratio of the amount of the substance of
interest to the amount of that substance plus the amount of the substance it is in.
Parts per hundred denotes the amount of a given substance in a total amount of 100
regardless of the units of measure as long as they are the same. e.g. 1 gram per
100 gram. 1 part in 102.
Parts per thousand denotes the amount of a given substance in a total amount of
1000 regardless of the units of measure as long as they are the same. e.g. 1
milligram per gram, or 1 gram per kilogram. 1 part in 103. Parts per million
('ppm') denotes the amount of a given substance in a total amount of 1,000,000
regardless of the units of measure used as long as they are the same. e.g. 1
milligram per kilogram. 1 part in 106. Problem: Calculate the quantity of Sodium
Fluoride (NaF) required for the preparation of 500ml of 2 ppm NaF aqueous solution.
Answer- 0.001 gm
CALCULATION OF DOSES Posology: The word posology derived from Greek word µposos¶,
meaning how much and µlogos¶, means science. That means it is a branch of medical
science which deals with doses or quantity of drugs which can be administered to
produce the required pharmacological actions. The term dose refers to the amount of
medication that a patient must take at one time to produce the optimum therapeutic
effect.
Calculation of child dose: I. According to age: a) Young¶s formula:
Child's dose = Child's age in years Child's age in years + 12 years X Adult dose

The above formula is used for calculating the doses for children under 12 years of
age. Problem: The adult maintenance dose of a drug is 325 mg. Calculate the dosage
for a 3-year-old child. Answer: 65mg
b) Dilling¶s formula:
Child's dose = Child's age in years 20 X Adult dose

Because of easy and quicker calculations, Dilling¶s formula is considered better.

Problem: If the adult dose is 60mg and the age of the child is 6 years, what will
be child¶s dose? Answer: 18mg c) Fried's rule:
Child's dose = Child's age in months 150 months X Adult dose

Problem: The adult dose of an antihistamine is 50 mg. Calculate the dosage for a 2½
year-old child.
Usually used for infant¶s dose calculation.

Answer: 10mg
II. According to body weight: Clark's Rule:
Child's dose = Child's weight in lbs. 150 lbs X Adult dose

Problem: The adult dose of Doxycycline is 100 mg. Calculate the dosage for a child
weighing 50 pounds. Answer: 33.3 mg III. According to body surface area:
Child's dose = Surface area of child Surface area of adult X Adult dose

The average body surface area for an adult = 1.73m2. Hence,

Child's dose =

Surface area of child 1.73m2

X Adult dose

Problem: Calculate the dosage for a child that has a
when the adult dose of a drug is 50 mg. Answer: 16.5
normality is a measure of concentration, it is equal
equivalents of a solute per liter of solution. It is
equivalents Liters solution
body surface area of 0.57 m2,
mg Normality: In chemistry,
to the number of gram
denoted by N. Normality = Gram
Gram equivalents =

Atomic weight or molecular weight Valence

Problem: 5.30 gm of Na2CO3 was dissolved in water and the volume made to 100ml.
Calculate the normality of the solution. Answer: Molecular weight of Na2CO3= 106
The equivalent weight of Na2CO3 is half the molecule weight, i.e., 106/2= 53 100 ml
solution contains 5.30 gm Na2CO3 Therefore, 1000 ml solution contains (5.30x10) gm
= 53 gm Normality of the solution is 1
Molarity: It defined as the presence of number of moles of solute in 1000ml or 1
litre of solution. It is denoted by M. Molarity = Moles solute Liters solution

Problem: 58.44 grams of NaCl dissolved in exactly 2 L of solution. What would be

the molarity of the solution? Answer: Molecular weight of NaCl is 58.44 grams/mol
58.44 grams 58.44 grams/mol =1mol
Then, dividing 1.00 mol by 2.00 L gives
Calculate the molarity of 25.0 grams of
of KBr is 119 grams/mol. Answer: 0.28 M
moles of a given substance per kilogram
m. Molarity = Moles solute Kg Solvent
0.500 mol/L (or 0.500 M). Problem:
KBr dissolved in 750.0 mL. Molecular weight
Molality: Molality denotes the number of
of solvent. (not solution) It is denoted by