BMLS 3C

25-1

LABORATORY MATHEMATICS AND CALCULATION

 Concentration
 Percent Solution
▪ Parts per 100 (%)
▪ Independent of the molecular weight of a substance
▪ Weight/weight (w/w) % solutions
• Refers to the number of grams of solute per 100 g solution
% 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑥 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
• 𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒 = 100
▪ Weight/volume (w/v) % solutions
• Most common type of solution prepared in the laboratory
• Refers to the number of grams of solute per 100 mL solution
% 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑥 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑
• 𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒 = 100
▪ Volume/volume (v/v) % solutions
• Used when both solute and solvent are liquid
• Refers to the amount of solute in mL in 100 mL of solvent
% 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑥 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑
• 𝑚𝐿 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒 = 100
▪ Note: When preparing concentrated acid solutions, always add acid to water.
 Molarity
▪ Number of moles of solute per liter of solution
▪ 1 mole of substance equals its gram molecular weight (gmw)
▪ GMW – obtained by adding the atomic weights of the component elements
𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒
▪ 𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 𝐺𝑀𝑊 𝑥 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 (𝐿)
𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠 (𝑔)
▪ 𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠 = 𝐺𝑀𝑊
▪ To prepare a molar solution
• 𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒 = 𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑥 𝐺𝑀𝑊 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒 𝑥 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 (𝐿) 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑
▪ To convert % w/v to molarity:
% 𝑤/𝑣 𝑥 10
• 𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 𝐺𝑀𝑊
 Normality
▪ Number of equivalent weight of solute per liter of solution
▪ Has often been used in acid-base solutions
𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒
▪ 𝑁𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 𝐸𝑊 𝑥 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 (𝐿)
𝑀𝑊
▪ 𝐸𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 (𝐸𝑊) = 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒
▪ To prepare a normal solution of solids:
• 𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒 = 𝐸𝑊 𝑥 𝑁𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑥 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 (𝐿)
▪ To convert % w/v to normality
% 𝑤/𝑣 𝑥 10
• 𝑁𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 𝐸𝑊
▪ Relationship between molarity and normality

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 BMLS 3C

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• 𝑁𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑥 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒

𝑁𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦
• 𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒
 Molality
▪ Amount of solute per 1 kilogram of solvent
▪ Expressed in terms of weight/weight or moles per kilogram (mol/kg)
▪ Molecular weight is obtained by adding the atomic weights of the given compound
𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑠 𝑜𝑓𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒
▪ 𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 𝑀𝑊 𝑥 𝑘𝑔 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡
 Milliequivalent
▪ Commonly used for reporting electrolyte
𝑚𝑔/𝑑𝐿 𝑥 10 𝑥 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒
▪ 𝑚𝐸𝑞/𝐿 = 𝑀𝑊
 Millimoles
▪ Molecular weight in millimoles (mmol/L)
𝑚𝑔/𝑑𝐿 𝑥 10
▪ 𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝐿 = 𝑀𝑊
 Ratio and Dilution
𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒
 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜 = 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡
𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒
 𝐷𝑖𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
CONVERSION FACTORS FROM CONVENTIONAL UNITS TO SI UNITS
CONVENTIONAL / CONVERSION
ANALYTE SI UNIT
CURRENT FACTOR
Albumin g/mL g/L 10
Ammonia µg/dL µmol/L 0.587
Aspartate aminotransferase U/L (mU/mL) µkat/L 0.0167
Bicarbonate (HCO3) mEq/L mmol/L 1.0
Bilirubin mg/dL µmol/L 17.1
Blood urea nitrogen mg/dL mmol/L 0.357
Calcium mg/dL mmol/L 0.25
Chloride mEq/L mmol/L 1.0
Cholesterol mg/dL mmol/L 0.026
Cortisol µg/dL µmol/L 0.0276
Creatinine mg/dL µmol/L 88.4
Creatinine clearance mL/min mL/s 0.0167
Folic acid ng/mL nmol/L 2.27
Glucose mg/dL mmol/L 0.0555
Hemoglobin g/dL g/L 10
Iron mg/dL µmol/L 0.179
Lithium mEq/L µmol/L 1.0
Magnesium mEq/L mmol/L 0.5
Osmolality mOsm/kg mmol/kg 1.0

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Phosphorus mg/dL mmol/L 0.323

Potassium mEq/L mmol/L 1.0
Sodium mEq/L mmol/L 1.0
Thyroxine µg/dL nmol/L 12.9
Triglyceride mg/dL mmol/L 0.0113
Uric acid mg/dL mmol/L 0.0595
Vitamin B12 ng/mL pmol/L 0.0738
PCO2 mm/Hg kPa 0.133
PO2 mm/Hg kPa 0.133
*To obtain SI unit, multiply current unit by conversion factor. To obtain the conventional or current unit,
divide the SI unit by the conversion factor.

Temperature Conversions
 Centigrade (ºC) to Kelvin (ºK) = ºC + 273
 Centigrade (ºC) to Fahrenheit (ºF) = (ºC x 1.8) + 32
 Fahrenheit (ºF) to Centigrade (ºC) = (ºF - 32) x 0.556

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