Example

Try It 7.88: Solving a Proportion Application for a Fever Reducer

Apply the proportion-solving strategy to calculate pediatric medication dosage based on a child's weight.

Problem: For every 11 kilogram (kg) of a child’s weight, pediatricians prescribe 1515 milligrams (mg) of a fever reducer. If Isabella weighs 1212 kg, how many milligrams of the fever reducer will the pediatrician prescribe?

  1. Identify what to find and assign a variable: How many mg of the fever reducer should be prescribed? Let mm = mg of fever reducer.
  2. Translate into a proportion, ensuring units are consistent on both sides (milligrams over kilograms): 151=m12\frac{15}{1} = \frac{m}{12}
  3. Solve the proportion by multiplying both sides by 1212 to clear the denominator: 12151=12m1212 \cdot \frac{15}{1} = 12 \cdot \frac{m}{12} 180=m180 = m
  4. Answer: The pediatrician will prescribe 180180 milligrams of the fever reducer for Isabella.

0

1

Updated 2026-05-25

Contributors are:

Who are from:

Tags

OpenStax

Intermediate Algebra @ OpenStax

Ch.7 Rational Expressions and Functions - Intermediate Algebra @ OpenStax

Algebra

Related