PHARMACY 3 – PHYSICAL PHARMACY

DENSITY AND SPECIFIC GRAVITY 1 gall. 4 qt.

PHARMACY PRACTICE
- Pharmacy is the art and science of preparing
and dispensing medications and the 3. AVOIRDUPOIS SYSTEM (MEDICATION)
provision of drug-related information to the Weight
public. 1 oz. 473.5 gr
PHYSICAL PHARMACY 1 lb. 16 oz
- Art of pharmacy that deals with the physical 7000 gr
and chemical properties of science as they
apply the practice of pharmacy. COMMON EQUIVALENTS AND CONVERSIONS
1 gram = 15.432 grains
IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL PHARMACY 1 grain = 64.8 mg
- Aids the pharmacist in their attempt to predict 1 ap ounce = 31.1 g
the solubility, stability, compatibility, and 1 av. Ounce = 28.35 g
biologic action of drug products. 1 ap. Pound = 373.2 g
1 av. Pound = 454 g
DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS 1 ml = 16.23 minims
- Also called factor-label method or unit factor 1 minim = 0.062 ml
method 1 fluid ounce = 29.57 ml
- Also known as conversion factor 1 pint = 473 ml
- Problem method that uses the fact that any 1 gallon = 3,785 ml
number or expression can be multiplied by 1 1 kilogram = 2.2lbs
without changing its value. 1 teaspoon = 5 ml
Example: 1 tablespoon = 15 ml
 How many seconds are there in 1 year? 1 glass = 240 ml
 Conversion factors:
- 365days=1year DENSITY AND SPECIFIC GRAVITY
- 24hr=1day DENSITY
- 60min=1hr - Mass per unit volume of a substance
- 60sec=1min - Usually expressed in grams per cubic
centimeter (g/cc)
365 days  Since the United States Pharmacopeia
∗24 hr states that 1 mL may be used as the
1 year
∗60 mins equivalent of 1 cc, for our purposes, the
1 day
∗60 secs density of water may be expressed as 1
1 hr
=31 536 000 sec / year g/mL.
1 min  One millimeter of mercury weighs 13.6g, we
can say its density is 13.6 g/ml
SYSTEM OF WEIGHTS AND MESAURES
CONVERSION
DENSITY = mass/volume (D = m/v)
1. THE METRIC SYSTEM
Example Problem 1:
Weight – uses the gram as the primary unit
If 10 ml of sulfuric acid weigh 18 grams, what
1 mcg 1000 ng is its density?
1 mg 1000 mcg Answer: 1.8 g/ml
1g 1000 mg
1kg 1000 g Example Problem 2:
Volume – uses the liter as primary unit Calculate the density of unknown liquid that
1L = 1000 ml weighs 25g with 15ml volume.
Answer: 1.67 g/ml
2. THE APOTHECARY SYSTEM (COMPOUNDING)
Weight Volume Example Problem 3:
1 ap. scruple 20 gr 1 fl. dr. 60 minims Find the volume of sulfuric acid that weighs 18
1 ap. dram 3 scruple 1 fl. oz. 8 fl. dr. grams with 1.8 density.
1 ap. ounce 8 drams 1 pt. 16 fl. oz. Answer: 10 ml
1 ap. pound 12 oz 1 qt. 2 pt.
 PHARMACY 3 – PHYSICAL PHARMACY

SPECIFIC GRAVITY (sp. Gr) or RELATIVE DENSITY

- Ratio of the weight of a substance to the  In pharmaceutical work, this expression may be to
weight of an equal volume of a substance two, three, or four decimal places.
chosen as a standard  Because substances expand or contract at
- Temperature of both substance is the same of different rates when their temperatures change,
known. accurate work necessitates allowing carefully for
- Water is used as the standard for the specific variations in the specific gravity of a substance.
gravities of liquids and solids  In the United States Pharmacopeia, the standard
temperature for specific gravities is 25°C, except
SPECIFIC GRAVITY = Weight of substance for that of alcohol, which is 15.56°C by
Weight of equal volume of water government regulation.
RELATIVE DENSITY= Density of substance
Density of water Example Problem 5:
If a pint of a certain liquid weighs 601 g, what
Example Problem 4: is the specific gravity of the liquid?
If 10 mL of sulfuric acid weighs 18 g, and 10 mL of Since:
water, under similar conditions, weighs 10 g, the 1 pint = 473 ml
specific gravity of the acid is? @USP 1g = 1ml
Answer: Specific gravity=18 (g)/10 (mL) = 1.8
Answer: Specific gravity of liquid = 601g /
473g = 1.27

PYCNOMETER OR SPECIFIC GRAVITY BOTTLE

• A

special glass bottle used to determine specific

gravity
• Generally available for laboratory use in volumes
ranging from 1 mL to 50 mL
• Have fitted glass stoppers with a capillary
 Substances that
opening to allow trapped air and excess fluid to
have a specific
escape.
gravity of less than
• Some pycnometers have thermometers affixed,
1 are lighter than
because temperature is a factor in specific
water
gravity determinations.
 Substances that
have a specific
gravity of greater
Example Problem 6:
than 1 are heavier
What is the weight in grams, of 3620ml of
than water
alcohol with a specific gravity of 0.820?
Solution:
3,620 ml of water weigh 3,620 g
 PHARMACY 3 – PHYSICAL PHARMACY
3,620g x 0.820 = 2, 960 grams -> answer

KNOWING THE VOLUME:

g = volume (ml) x sp. Gr.

Example Problem 7ss:

What is the volume, in milliliters, of 492 g of
nitric acid with a specific gravity of 1.40?
Solution:
492 g of water measure 492 mL
492 mL/1.4 = 351 mL, answer.

KNOWING THE MASS/WEIGHT

Ml = weight (g)/sp.gr.

PHARMACEUTICAL APPLICATIONS
• Specific gravity is employed when a
pharmacist wishes to convert the weight of
an ingredient or preparation to volume or
vice versa.
• liquid materials are usually the
objects of the conversions.
• Specific gravity is also used to calculate the
equivalent strength of a preparation on the
basis of either weight or volume.
• Specific gravity is in automated
pharmaceutical equipment used by
pharmacists to prepare total parenteral
nutrition (TPN) admixtures.