If a child is prescribed 160 mg and the tablet contains 80 mg per tablet, how many tablets are needed?

If a child is prescribed 160 mg and the tablet contains 80 mg per tablet, how many tablets are needed?

• A. One tablet
• B. One and a half tablets
• C. Two tablets
• D. Three tablets

Answer: (C)

To figure out how many tablets to give, divide the prescribed dose by how much medicine each tablet contains. Here, 160 mg divided by 80 mg per tablet equals 2, so two tablets are needed to reach the 160 mg dose. One tablet would only provide 80 mg, one and a half tablets would be 120 mg, and three tablets would be 240 mg, none of which match the prescribed amount except two.

To figure out how many tablets to give, divide the prescribed dose by how much medicine each tablet contains. Here, 160 mg divided by 80 mg per tablet equals 2, so two tablets are needed to reach the 160 mg dose. One tablet would only provide 80 mg, one and a half tablets would be 120 mg, and three tablets would be 240 mg, none of which match the prescribed amount except two.