Approximately how many pints of blood does an average adult human have?

• A. About 2 pints
• B. About 10 pints
• C. About 20 pints
• D. About 40 pints

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the average adult human has a total blood volume that is typically measured in liters or pints. This volume depends on factors like body size and sex but generally falls within a known range.
2. Recall that the average blood volume for an adult is approximately 7% to 8% of their total body weight. For example, a 70 kg (about 154 lbs) adult would have around 5 to 6 liters of blood.
3. Convert the blood volume from liters to pints, knowing that 1 liter is approximately equal to 2.11 pints. This conversion helps translate the volume into the units asked in the problem.
4. Multiply the average blood volume in liters by 2.11 to get the approximate number of pints. For example, if the average is about 5 liters, then 5 liters × 2.11 pints/liter gives the total pints of blood.
5. Compare the calculated value to the given options to identify the closest estimate, which is typically around 10 pints for an average adult human.