ERIE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
TITLE III
Algebra Project
Interdisciplinary Course Materials
Health Sciences - Respiratory Care
Course:
MT 006
Course Outline Topic:
Formulas, applications
Project Title:
Respiratory Care Conversions
Project description:
Students will be given several scenarios in which they will
locate, write and/or solve a formula involving common
respiratory care conversions to solve the given problems.
They will need to rely on their knowledge of writing
algebraic expressions, solving formulas for an indicated
variable and evaluating formulas to find the correct
solutions.
Author:
Gail Butler (North Campus Mathematics/C.S. Department)
Curriculum Expert:
James Bierl (North Campus Respiratory Care Department)
Semester Created:
Fall 2008
A.
Essential Question
What are the formulas for converting Celsius degrees to Fahrenheit degrees and
vice versa? How can a respiratory therapist convert L/sec into L/min? How can a
nurse convert liters into cubic centimeters? How can a doctor convert pounds to
kilograms in order to administer the correct medicine dosage? What are formulas
to convert pounds to grams and grams to kilograms?
B.
Introduction
In this project you will apply the algebra and numeric skills that you have
developed in class to real-life situations involving respiratory care. Respiratory
therapists are often required to convert Fahrenheit temperatures into Celsius
measurements which are used in most hospitals. Other common conversions
occur between minutes and seconds, pounds and kilograms, liters and cubic
centimeters. You will be required to look up formulas and conversions, evaluate
formulas, and solve formulas for an indicated variable. You will also be asked to
write algebraic expressions for some common measurement conversions used in
the field of respiratory care.
Erie Community College
Title III Grant
C.
Basic Directions
All work is to be shown in an organized fashion on separate paper. Your work
should be clearly labeled. In addition to correct answers, neatness and legibility
are required for full credit.
You may use a calculator for the computations. If necessary, follow the problem
specific directions for rounding your answers.
You are to complete this project on your own. It will count toward your final
grade as indicated in your instructor’s syllabus.
D.
Things to Learn Before Starting the Project
1. Know how to evaluate formulas.
2. Know how to solve a formula for an indicated variable.
3. Know how to write algebraic expressions indicating addition, subtraction,
multiplication or division.
E.
The Project Assignment
Problem #1
A mother called her pediatrician’s office for advice on her ill child. She states
that he feels warm and has a temperature of 103° F. Before reporting this
information to the pediatrician the nurse must convert the temperature to Degrees
C°.
a. Locate the formula that will allow the nurse to make the required conversion.
You may use your textbook, the Internet, the library, or another source. Copy
the formula and indicate where you found it.
b. Use the formula to make the required conversion. Round you answer to the
nearest tenth of a degree.
c. Use algebraic steps to solve the formula for F, showing all steps.
d. Using this formula (that converts Celsius into Fahrenheit), convert your
answer to part b into Fahrenheit. Is your answer close to 103° F? In a
complete sentence or two, explain why a student’s answer might not be
exactly 103° F.
Erie Community College
Title III Grant
Problem #2
A respiratory therapist is measuring an asthmatic patient’s peak flow (a peak flow
is a measurement of how fast a person can exhale). The meter is registering 8
L/sec (Liters per second). The therapist must convert this peak flow reading into
Liters per minute (L/min).
a. Write a formula that can be used to convert Liters per second to Liters per
minute. Use Lsec to represent Liters per second and Lmin to represent Liters per
minute.
b. Use the formula that you wrote to calculate the patient’s peak flow in Liters
per minute.
c. Solve the formula you wrote in part a for Liters per second (Lsec).
d. Use the formula you found in part c to convert 10L/min into L/sec. Round your
answer to the nearest hundredth.
Problem #3
A nurse is asked to deliver a volume of 4.0 Liters of fluid to a patient over the
next several hours. The only fluid bags available contain 500 cc (cubic
centimeters) each.
a. Locate the number of cc’s (cubic centimeters) that are contained in 1 Liter.
You may use the Internet, library, textbooks etc.
b. Write a formula that can be used to convert Liters into cubic centimeters
(cc’s). Define your variables.
c. Use your formula to calculate the number of cubic centimeters contained in
4.0 Liters
d. Calculate the number of bags of fluid that the nurse needs.
Problem #4
A 164 lb. man is being attended to in the Emergency Room. He is to receive a
medication at a dose of 2 cc/kg body weight.
a. Locate the number of pounds (lb) that are contained in 1 kilogram(kg). You
may use the Internet, library, textbooks etc.
b. Use the conversion that you found in part a to write a formula that can be used
to convert pounds (lb) to kilograms( kg). Define your variables.
c. Use the formula that you wrote in part b to convert the man’s weight into
kilograms. Round your answer to the nearest tenth if necessary.
d. Using your answer to part c, calculate the dosage of medicine that the
Emergency room staff should administer.
Erie Community College
Title III Grant
Problem #5
A respiratory therapist is setting up a mechanical ventilator for a premature
newborn baby coming into the neonatal intensive care unit. It is reported that the
baby weighs 3.5 pounds. The therapist wants the ventilator to deliver a breath
that is approximately 7cc/kg.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
F.
Using the fact that 1 lb = 454 g (grams), write an algebraic formula that can
be used to convert pounds to grams.
Use the formula that you wrote in part a to convert the baby’s weight to
grams.
Using the fact that 1 kg (kilogram) = 1000g, write an algebraic formula that
can be used to convert grams to kilograms.
Use the formula that you wrote in part c to convert the baby’s weight from
grams to kilograms. Do not round your answer.
Determine the volume of air (in cubic centimeters) that the ventilator should
be set to deliver. Round your answer to the nearest hundredth.
Student Resources (websites, books, technology, etc.)
Textbooks; Internet; Other library reference materials
H.
Suggested Grading Rubric
Each problem: 9 points
Neatness and Legibility: 5 points
Total: 50 points
Erie Community College
Title III Grant
Answer Key:
Problem #1:
a. C 
5
( F  32)
9
b. C 
5
(103  32)  39.4 °C
9
9
c. F  C  32
5
9
(39.4)  32  102.92 °F. The answer is close, but because the answer to
5
part b was rounded, it is not exactly 103°.
d. F 
Problem #2:
a. L min  60L sec
b. Lmin = 60(8) = 480 L/min
c. Lsec =
L min
60
d. Lsec =
10
 0.17 L / sec
60
Problem #3:
a. 1000 cc = 1 liter
b. Let cc = cubic centimeters. Let L = liters. cc = 1000L
c. cc = 1000(4) = 4000cc
4000
 8bags
d.
500
Erie Community College
Title III Grant
Problem #4:
a. 1 kg  2.2 lbs
b. Let kg = kilograms. Let lb = pounds. Kg =
164
 74.5 kg.
2 .2
d. 74.5(2) = 149 cc of medicine.
c. Kg =
Problem #5
a. g = 454(lb)
b. g = 454(3.5)=1589 g.
g
c. kg =
1000
1589
 1.589
d. kg =
1000
e. 1.589(7) = 11.12 cc.
Erie Community College
Title III Grant
lb
.
2 .2