LABORATORY

MATHEMATICS
Ivan Patrick C. Gabutin, RMT, MLS(ASCPi)
Analyte - Anhydrous - Arterial blood - Beer's law - Buffer -
Centrifugation - Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) - Colligative property -
Conductivity - Deionized water - Deliquescent substance - Delta
absorbance - Density – Desiccant- Desiccator - Dilution - Dilution
factor - Distilled water -Equivalent weight - Erlenmeyer flasks - KEY WORDS
Filtration - Graduated cylinder - Griffin Beaker - Hemolysis -
Henderson-Hasselbalch equation - Hydrate - Hygroscopic - Icterus -
International unit - Ionic strength - Lipemia - Molality - Molarity -
Normality - One-point calibration - Osmotic pressure - Oxidized -
Oxidizing agent - Percent solution - pH - Pipette - Primary standard -
Ratio - Reagent grade water - Redox potential - Reduced - Reducing
agent - Reverse osmosis - Serial dilution - Serum - Significant figures -
Solute - Solution - Solvent - Specific gravity -Standard - Standard
reference materials (SRMs) Système International d'Unités (SI)
Thermistor -Ultrafiltration - Valence - Whole blood
 CLINICAL
CHEMISTRY
RESULT
Blood Uric Acid (BUA): 403 umol/L
Any meaningful quantitative
laboratory result consists of two
components: the first component
represents the number related to the
actual test value and the second is a
label identifying the units.
UNITS OF MEASURE
▪ a determinate quantity (as of length, time, heat, or value)
adopted as a standard of measurement (Merriam-Webster)
▪ The unit defines the physical quantity or dimension.

▪ SI (Systeme Internationale) unit

SI UNIT
(SYSTEME INTERNATIONALE)

▪ Adopted internationally in 1960

▪ Preferred in Scientific literature and in Clinical Laboratories
▪ Devised that provide the global scientific community with a uniform method of
describing physical quantities.

▪ Basic Unit (7) and Derived Units

0.001 Liter = 1 milliliter = 1 x 10⁻3 Liter
1 Liter = Milliliters? 1.0 L =1,000 ml
Convert 5 dL to mL 5 x 10¯1 L or 500 ml
SOLUTION
▪ SOLUTE + SOLVENT = SOLUTION
▪ Solute- substance dissolved in a liquid. (aka Analyte)
▪ Solvent- liquid in which a solute is dissolved.
BASIC PROPERTIES OF
SOLUTION
▪ Concentration
▪ Saturation
▪ Colligative properties
▪ Redox potential
▪ Conductivity
▪ Density
▪ pH
▪ Ionic strength.
CONCENTRATION
- Amount of solute (mass, volume or number of moles) in a standard amount of
solution (usually a volume)

▪ Percent solution / concentration

▪ Molarity
▪ Molality
▪ Normality
PERCENT
SOLUTION/CONCENTRATION
IS EQUAL TO PARTS PER 100 OR THE AMOUNT OF SOLUTE PER 100 TOTAL UNITS OF SOLUTION
▪ WEIGHT PER UNIT WEIGHT (W/W)
▪ VOLUME PER VOLUME (V/V) -- g/dL
▪ WEIGHT PER VOLUME (W/V)
WEIGHT PER UNIT WEIGHT
(W/W)
▪ Solid solute in solid solution
▪ Most accurate type of % concentration; not often used in the clinical
laboratory.
▪ %w/w= grams solute/grams solution x 100

▪ 6.75g of solute in 84 g solution

%w/w = 6.75g / 84 g x 100 = 8%
WEIGHT PER VOLUME (W/V)
▪ a solid solute in a liquid solution, (w/v)
▪ Most commonly used method in the clinical laboratory
▪ %w/v=grams solute/ml solution x 100

▪ 32g solute in 85ml solution

%w/v = 32g/85mlx 100 = 37.6%
VOLUME PER VOLUME (V/V)
▪ A liquid solute in a liquid solution
▪ %v/v= ml solute/ml solution x 100

▪ 18ml solute in 730 ml solution

18ml/730ml x 100 = 2.46%
MOLARITY (M)
▪ Moles of solute / Liter of Solution (mol/L) or mmol/mL
▪ A mole of a substance = Grams Molecular Weight (GMW) of a substance
▪ Molarity depends on volume and any significant physical changes that influence
volume such as changes in temperature and pressure
Example : A solution of 24 g NaOH is contains in a Class A 1 Liter volumetric flask filed to the top
calibration mark. Determine the Molarity. (The GMW of NaOH 40 g/mol)
▪ Step 1: What units are ultimately needed? Answer: Moles per liter (mol/L).

▪ Step 2: The units that exist are grams and 1 L. NaOH may be expressed as moles and grams. The gmw of
NaOH is calculated to equal 40 g/mol. Rearrange the equation so that grams can be canceled and the
remaining units reflect those needed in the answer, which are mole/L.
Step 3: The equation becomes
▪ What is the Molarity of a Solution formed from 6.75 g NaCl dissolved in water to
make a solution with a total volume of 452 ml? (58.4 GMW of NaCl)

6.75 g NaCl x 1 mol NaCl x 1000 mL = 0.256 mol/L

452 ml. 58.4 g NaCl 1L
MOLALITY (m)

▪ Moles of solute / Kg of Solvent (mol/kg)

▪ molality is not influenced by temperature or pressure because it is based on mass
rather than volume.

MOLARITY vs. MOLALITY

Based on the Based on
VOLUME the MASS
of Solution of Solvent
MOLALITY
Example : Find the Molality (m) of a solution that contains 128g of CH3OH IN 108g of water.
(C = 12.01g, O =16g, H(x4)= 4g
(m) = mol solute/ kg solvent

grams (CH3OH) ➝ Molar mass grams (H20) ➝ kg (H20)

128g CH3OH x 1mol CH3OH = 3.99molCH3OH 108g (H2O) ➝ 0.108 kg (H2O)
32.05g CH3OH

(m) = 3.99 mol CH3OH /0.108kg H2O

(m) = 36.9 m
NORMALITY
▪ Normality = Equivalent weights per Liter (Eq/L)
▪ 1 Eq Wt.= GMW ➗ Valence

Example : What is the normality of a 500 mL solution that contains 7 g of H2SO4?

H2SO4 (gmw = 98, valence = 2) 98/2 = 49 g per equivalent weight
▪ Step 1: Units needed? Answer: Normality expressed as equivalents per liter (Eq/L).

▪ Step 2: Units you have? Answer: Milliliters and grams. Now determine how they are related to equivalents
per liter. (Hint: There are 49 g per equivalent

▪ Step 3: Rearrange the equation so that like terms cancel out, leaving Eq/L. This
equation is
B. What is the normality of a 0.5 M solution of H2SO4?
(gmw = 98, valence = 2) 98/2 = 49 g per equivalent weight
CONVERSION OF NORMALITY TO
MOLARITY V.V.
▪M×V=N

▪ Example : 0.5M H2SO4 (gmw = 98, valence = 2) 98/2 = 49 g per equivalent weight
M×V=N
0.5 M × 2 = 1 N

▪ Express 0.4 N H3PO4 as normality. Valence of 3.

M x V = N → M = N/V
M = 0.4/3 = 0.13M
N= M X V
▪ 0.15 M HCL

▪ 1.4 M H2S04

▪ 2M NaOH

▪ 0.4 M Ba(OH)2
▪ EXERCISE:
▪ What is the Normality of a solution that contains 50g OF H2SO4 dissolved in 15L?
(GMW H2S04= 98 g/mol)
CONVERSION FROM
CONVENTIONAL TO S.I. UNITS
▪ EXAMPLE:
▪ Convert 126 mg/dl of FBS result to S.I unit.
 • A measure of the Strength of the ACID or BASE character of a Substance
pH • (p)ower of (H)ydronium (H30⁺) / Hydrogen ion

pOH power of hydroxide (OH⁻)

pOH = -log [OH¯]

pH + pOH=14 The pH/pOH scale ranges from 0 to 14

< 7 is acidic → [OH¯] < [H3O⁺]
7 is neutral
> 7 is basic → [OH¯] > [H3O⁺]
 What is the pH of the solution if the [H3O⁺] concentration is 2.5x10ˆ-4 M?

pH = -log [H3O⁺]
= -log [2.5x10ˆ-4]
pH = 3.6

The pOH of the solution is 4.5. Calculate the pH of the solution.

pH + pOH = 14

pH = 14 - pOH

= 14 - 4.5

pH= 9.5
DILUTION
▪ Process of decreasing the concentration of a solute in a solution, usually by
mixing with more solvent.
▪ ratio of concentrated or stock material to the total final volume of a solution
▪ Types : Simple dilution or Serial dilution

Dilution Factor ex. 1:10 , 1:20, 1:5

▪ This ratio of concentrated or stock solution to the total solution volume
▪ Stock or solute concentration / Total Volume (1:10)
▪ the dilution factor increases as the concentration decreases
▪ 1:20 OR 1/20 DILUTION
▪ 1/20 = Amount of Solute/Total Volume

▪ 1 PARTS SOLUTE: 19 PARTS DILUENT

▪ TOTAL VOLUME: 20 (add the volumes of the solute and the diluent)
SIMPLE DILUTION
▪ A dilution involves two (2) entities:
▪ Solute/stock- the material being diluted
▪ Diluent- medium making up the rest of
the solution
▪ Can be expressed as a ratio or fraction
EXAMPLE:
▪ 2 ml of 1:20 dilution is needed to run a specific serological test. How
much serum and how much diluent are needed to make this dilution.
Given:
▪ 2 ml= total volume
▪ 1:20= dilution
▪ Let X be the amount of solute
▪ Solution: 1/20 = X/2
20x = 2
x = 2/20 or 1/10 or 0.1
Therefore X= 0.1 (AMOUNT OF SOLUTE)

To obtain the amount of diluent:

▪ Total Volume- Amount of Solute
▪ 2ml-0.1ml= 1.9 ml
▪ Amount of diluent is 1.9 ml

▪ 1/20=0.1/2
 V1 X C1 = V2 X C2
▪ The volume of one solution times the concentration of that solution equals the
volume of a second solution times the concentration of the second solution.

EXAMPLE:
▪ How much 95% alcohol is required to make 200 ml of 5% alcohol?

V1x 95% = 200ml x 5%

V1 = 200ML X 5%
95%
V1 = 10.5 ML

200 – 10.5 = 189.5 ml of diluent

SERIAL DILUTION
▪ Dilution can also be made in series, in which the original solution is further divided
▪ multiple progressive dilutions ranging from more concentrated solutions to less
concentrated solutions
▪ Common in SEROLOGY Section when small amount of serum is available or More
than Detectable amount of analyte is present in the sample.
TWO-FOLD SERIAL DILUTION
Reduces the concentration of a solution by a factor of two that is reduces the original
concentration by one half.
.
END