.
For a certain medication, the amount (in milligrams) of the medicine given to a patient in a single dose
may vary from 400 milligrams up to and including 550 milligrams.
An adult patient can receive at most 3,000 milligrams of this medication in a 24-hour period.
How many single doses could an adult patient be given in order to receive exactly the maximum number
of milligrams of this medication in a 24-hour period?
A) 3 or 4
B) 4 or 5
C) 6 or 7
D) 8 or 9
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(1) The solution and the answer by @greenestamps are both incorrect.
Indeed, multiply 550 mg by 7, and you will get 3850 mg,
which is greater than 3000 mg and, therefore, is PROHIBITED
(does not satisfy the imposed restriction).
(2) The correct reasoning is to divide 3000 mg by 550 mg, = 5.4545...
and then round this periodical real decimal fraction to greatest SMALLER integer number,
which is 5. Thus 5 is the maximum admitted number of dosages.
THEREFORE, the correct answer is (B): 4 or 5 dosages.
Actually, the normal answer would be 5 dosages, but, because in the answer list
we have pairs of numbers, we select from the answer list that UNIQUE pair
which has 5 as a maximum number.
(3) The problem's wording (question) is confusing. To avoid confusing, it MUST be re-edited.
One my possible editing is below.
---------------------
For a certain medication, the amount (in milligrams) of the medicine given to a patient in a single dose
may vary from 400 milligrams up to and including 550 milligrams.
An adult patient can receive at most 3,000 milligrams of this medication in a 24-hour period.
How many single doses could an adult patient be given in order to receive the maximum
possible number of milligrams of this medication in a 24-hour period under the imposed condition ?
---------------------
Solved.