Site Map

Calcuate % mass of each ingredient

by Rma
(MN)

each capsule of Excedrin migraine contains 250mg of acetaminophen, 250 mg of ASA, 65mg caffeine. If the capsule has an average mass of 0.676g. calculate the percent mass of each active ingredients in a tablet of Excedrin.

I did the math but seems wrong. not sure if this is what the question wants.
I got:

44.2% acetaminophen
44.2% ASA
12% Caffeine

Can you help walk me through?

Comments for Calcuate % mass of each ingredient

Click here to add your comments

% Mass
by: Bilal

Average mass of Excedrin is 676mg;

% of Acetaminophen will be 250x100/676=37%

same calculation for ASA 37%

% of Caffeine 65x100/676=10%

and the rest {100-(37+37+10)} will be excipients which makes up to 16% of the average tablet weight.
% of mass
by: yibe

Acetaminophen= 250*100/526= 44.25%
ASA= 44.25%
Caffeine%= 100-(44.25+44.25)= 11.5%

SO FROM 0.676g. capsule
Acetaminophen will be =0.4425*0.676g =0.3g= 300mg
the same ASA 0.3g
caffeine= 0.676-(0.3+0.3)= 0.076g = 76mg
Be careful to give the answer requested
by: Anonymous

Bilal is correct. The question is percent which is always a proportion equation where the denominator equals 100%. (The total)
The error in what you did was to confuse just what was to be "the total."

The question wanted to know how much of each active ingredient was in the total sample. You calculated the percent of each active ingredient per total active ingredients. That's not what it asked.

The calculation you and yibe did was the equation you'd do if the question gave you percentages and asked you to calculate mass. It's a good "chevk your work" calculation, but yibe's calculation error should have been self evident when his/her answer came out with mass amounts that differed from the mass amounts given in the question.

The question already stated that 250mg of APAP and ASA were in the sample so 300mg should have been a huge red flag.
?
by: Anonymous

Why is is divided by 100? Where does 100 come from?
Fractions
by: Anonymous

Set it up as fractions equal to each other and then cross multiply and divide.
250mg/676mg=x/100
250*100/676=36.98%
65*100/676=9.6%
HOW YOU GOT 526?
by: SARANNYA

PLEASE EXPLAIN HOW YOU GOT 526?

Click here to add your comments

Join in and ASK your Questions! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Math questions.