Question

What does 6mmol/l mean in blood glucose ?

Answer 1

6mmol/l means 1.1 g/l

Work out the relative molecular mass (`M_r`) by adding up all the `A_r` values in `C_6H_(12)O_6` which is the molecular formula of glucose:

`A_r [C]=12` `A_r[O]=16` `A_r[H]=1`

So `M_r` = (12 x 6) + (12 x 1) + (6 x 16) = 180

So 1 mole of glucose has a mass of 180g

So 1mmol means 1/1000 of a mole which is 180/1000 = 0.18g

So 1mmol/l means 0.18g of glucose dissolved in 1 litre of water.

So 6mmol/l means 0.18 x 6 = 1.1 g/l