# A pharmacist describes a painkiller tablet as a formulation. Explain what is meant by the term formulation and give two reasons why it is important that the components of a medicine are mixed in carefully measured quantities.

> WJEC GCSE Chemistry (Wales) — 1.5 Rate of chemical change · Explain · 4 marks

## Mark scheme (4 marks)

1. A formulation is a mixture designed for a particular use / made up of exact quantities of pure substances
2. Each chemical/component in the formulation has a particular purpose
3. To ensure the product has the required/correct properties
4. Too much or too little of a component could make the medicine unsafe / ineffective / harmful to the patient

## Key terms

- [formulation](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/formulation)
- [components](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/components)

## Related

- [Revision notes for WJEC GCSE Chemistry (Wales)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Explain" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
- [Practice this with AI marking (free)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/start)

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Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/a-pharmacist-describes-a-painkiller-tablet-affac418) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.