Pharmaceutical Calculation

PHARMACEUTICS I

PHRM 210
DENSITY
Density (d) is mass per unit volume of a
substance. It usually expressed as grams per cubic
centimeter (g/cc).
Mass
Density =
Volume
Gram is defined as the mass of 1 cc of water at
4oC, 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
Problem:
1. Calculate the weight of 120 ml of oil whose
density is 0.9624 mg/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 1.25 mg/ml?
3. Find out the volume in liter of an oil whose
density is 0.75 gm/ml and the total weight of that oil is
given 20.5 kg.

Be careful about the unit

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 25oC.
Calculating the 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 54.96 ml of an oil weight 52.78 g,
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 23.66
g. When filled with water, it weights 72.95 g, when
filled with another liquid , it weights 73.56 g. 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 12.64 g in air,
8.57 g when immersed in water, and 9.12 g when
immersed in an oil. Calculate the specific gravity of the
oil.
Answer:
Calculating the 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 38.525 g in air
and 23.525 g when immersed in water. What is its
specific gravity?
Answer:
38.525 g – 23.525 g = 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
6.423 g in air and 2.873 g when immersed in an oil
having a specific gravity of 0.858. What is the specific
gravity of the salt?
Answer:
6.423 g – 2.873 g = 3.550 g of displaced oil.
Wt. of salt in oil/ Wt. of salt in air = Sp. gr. of oil / Sp.
Gr. of salt
= (0.858 x 6.423) / 3.550 = 1.55
SPECIFIC VOLUME
Specific volume is defined as an abstract number
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 25 g of glycerin measure 20 ml and 25
g of water measure 25 ml under the same conditions.
What is the specific volume of glycerin ?
Answer:
The specific volume of the glycerin is
vol. of glycerin / vol. of water = 20ml /25ml = 0.8
Problem: Calculate Specific volume of a syrup,
91.0 ml of which weigh 107.16 g.
DILUTION AND CONCENTRATION
Pharmacy personnel will often go to a stock solution to
obtain the amount of active ingredient that is needed to
make a preparation. This is especially true if the
amount required is so small that it cannot be accurately
weighed on a torsion balance. It is easier to measure
an amount of stock solution than to set up a balance,
weigh the ingredients, and compound the entire
product. The use of stock preparations is an important
aspect 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.
100 ml 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% = 473 ml/ X ml  X= 1182.5 ml
(answer)
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) = (2000 ml) (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:
Step 1: Write the formula. Step 4: Solve for X.
V C = V1 C1 2 X = 2.4
Step 2: Substitute values. X = 1.2 ml
(answer)
(X) (2%) = (120 ml) (.02%)
Step 3: Check units.
 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
Step 1:
W C = W1 C1
Step 2 & 3:
(X) (14%) = (454 g) (20%)
Step 4:
14 X = 9080,
X = 648.57142 grams (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:
Step 1: V C = V1 C1
Step 2: (X) (10%) = (4 L) ( 1/2000 )
Step 3: (a) Change 4 liters to milliliters
(b) 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?
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.
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.
4. Prepare 400ml of a 5% solution and label with
direction for preparing 2 liter quantities of a 1 in 2000
solution.
Alcohol dilution:
Volume of stronger alcohol required:
Volume required X Percentage required
=
Percentage used

Problems: Prepare 400 ml of 45% alcohol from

95% alcohol.
Answer: Volume of stronger alcohol
to be used=
Volume required= 400ml
400x45
% of alcohol required= 45
95
% of alcohol used= 95
= 189.47 ml = 190 ml
Applying the formula- 190 ml of 95% alcohol is diluted with
to produce 400ml. The strength of dilute
alcohol will be 45%.
Solve the Problems:
• Prepare 600 ml of 60% alcohol from 95% alcohol.
• Prepare 500 ml of 40% alcohol from 95% alcohol.
• How much water should be mixed with 5000 ml of
85.5% ( V/V) alcohol to make 50% ( V/V) alcohol?
• 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)
• How many milliliters of distilled water must be added
to one gallon of 100% Isopropyl Alcohol to make a
70% alcohol?
• 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)
PERCENTAGE CALCULATIONS
The term percent and its corresponding sign (%)
mean “by the hundred” or “in a hundred”, and
percentage means “rate 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 1 % = 1g of solute
100 g of prep. 100 g of solution

mL of solute 1 mL of solute
Volume/Volume = 1%=
100 mL 100 mL

grams of solute 1 % = 1 g of solute

Weight/Volume = 100 mL 100 mL
 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 THEN X g ZnO
=
100 g Oint 240 g Oint
 100 X = 960
 X = 9.6 g of zinc oxide
(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
required-
2x120
= 2.4 gm of ephedrine sulfate needed.
100 (answer)
Problem: Prepare 500 ml of a 2 in 4000 solution
of potassium permanganate.
Answer: 50mg
Problem: ml
Rx
KMnO4 0.02%
Distilled water qsad 240

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
‘posos’, meaning how much and ‘logos’, 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 age in years
Child's dose = X Adult dose
Child's age in years + 12 years
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 age in years
Child's dose = X Adult dose
20
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 age in months
Child's dose = X Adult dose
150 months
Problem: The adult dose of an antihistamine is 50
mg. Calculate the dosage for a 2½ year-old child.
Answer: 10mg
Usually used for infant’s dose calculation.
II. According to body weight:
Clark's Rule:
Child's weight in lbs.
Child's dose = X Adult dose
150 lbs
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:
Surface area of child
Child's dose = X Adult dose
Surface area of adult
The average body surface area for an adult = 1.73m2.
Hence,
 Surface area of child
Child's dose = X Adult dose
1.73m2
Problem: Calculate the dosage for a child that has
a body surface area of 0.57 m2, when the adult dose of
a drug is 50 mg.
Answer: 16.5 mg
Normality:
In chemistry, normality is a measure of
concentration, it is equal to the number of gram
equivalents of a solute per liter of solution.
It is denoted by N.
Gram equivalents
Normality =
Liters solution
 Atomic weight or molecular weight
Gram equivalents =
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.
Moles solute
Molarity =
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
=1mol
58.44 grams/mol
Then, dividing 1.00 mol by 2.00 L gives 0.500 mol/L (or
0.500 M).
Problem: Calculate the molarity of 25.0 grams of
KBr dissolved in 750.0 mL. Molecular weight of KBr is
119 grams/mol.
Answer: 0.28 M
Molality:
Molality denotes the number of moles of a given
substance per kilogram of solvent. (not solution)
It is denoted by m.
Moles solute
Molarity =
Kg Solvent