Dimensional Analysis

Chapter 4

1. A nursing student has an order to administer 45 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) for a child, but the student only knows the child’s weight in pounds (lb). The student knows that which of the following will need to be done as part of solving the problem in dimensional analysis?
2. Use a conversion factor.
3. Use pounds (lb) as the main unit of measure.
4. Give 45 mg of the medication to the child.
5. Start the problem with kilograms as the unit of measure for the answer.
6. Place the steps of dimensional analysis in the correct order.
7. Insert the given quantities.
8. Establish the answer’s unit of measure.
9. Critically evaluate the answer.
10. Calculate the answer.
11. Determine the necessary conversion factor.

Calculate the following using dimensional analysis.

1. The baker is making apple pies for the county fair. The baker plans to make 14 pies, each requiring 1 pound of sugar for the correct recipe. How many cups of sugar should the baker plan to buy to complete the baking project? (If rounding is needed, round to the nearest whole number.)

__________cups

1. The gardener is adding fertilizer to water to encourage plant growth. The fertilizer label states, “Add 2 tablespoons of fertilizer to 1 gallon of water.” The gardener’s watering can holds 2 gallons of water, and he can only find his teaspoon for measuring. How many teaspoons will the gardener add to the watering can for the correct fertilizer dilution?

___________teaspoons

1. A nursing student is taking a client’s pulse. The student counts the pulse for 30 seconds and got 35. What is the client’s pulse in beats per minute?

________ beats/minute

1. A nursing student tracks steps taken at clinical for the day. The student has taken 15,862 steps according to a smartwatch. If there are 2,000 steps in 1 mile, how many miles has the student walked during the clinical rotation? Round to the nearest whole number.

________ miles

1. A farmer has 52 cows that he must milk daily. If each cow produces, on average, 50 lb of milk per day, and 8 pounds of milk is 1 gallon of milk, how many gallons of milk will the farmer have after 3 days of milking?

__________ gallons

1. A swimmer does a full stroke every 1.5 seconds. He completes a 50-meter race in 1 minute. How many full strokes did he make per meter?

__________ strokes/meter

1. A woman is on a weight-loss program and is tracking calorie intake and expenditure. For every 6 minutes she runs at 8 miles per hour, she can burn 300 calories. How many calories will she burn if she exercises for half an hour, keeping up the pace of 8 miles per hour?

__________ calories

1. A chef is adding a new dessert for his restaurant. For every 100 servings of the dessert, he will need a bag of flour. How many bags of flour will he need per week if he is open six nights per week for dinner, and he expects to serve dessert to 40 guests per night?

__________ bags of flour