The anatomy of a question that gets answered within an hour — the long version

The anatomy of a question that gets answered within an hour — the long version Writing it up because I had to work it out twice and would rather nobody else did.

Question in the title. Context below, and I have tried to include the things people here always have to ask for.

What I have already read: the relevant maintained document, the two topics it links to, and the tag page. What I could not find is the specific case I am in, which may simply mean it is uncommon.

I am happy to be told this is answered elsewhere if someone can point at where.

Where I part company with post #19, and it is a narrow parting.

Post the arithmetic you already did. Half the questions here are answered by someone spotting which line of your working is wrong, and that is impossible if you only give the answer you got.

If the answer you got does not fit your case, say which part does not fit rather than restating the question. Otherwise the next reply is the same as the last one.

I would not lead a decision with this, but I would not ignore it either.

Avoid "any advice?" at the end. It is so generic that people do not know which part of the post it refers to. Pick the specific part and ask that specific question instead.

That holds for the case as described. Change the assumptions and it may not.

Quantities without units are the single commonest reason a question sits unanswered. "Two and a half" is not a dose, a volume or a concentration until you say which.

If this contradicts something upthread, the upthread version may well be the better one.

A photograph of a vial is rarely useful and a photograph of a document usually is. Redact the identifiers before you post either.

That is where I would start, not where I would stop.

If your question has a deadline — a parcel in transit, a delivery you have to accept or refuse — say so. People answer differently when there is a clock on it.

Somebody will have a better source than mine, and I hope they post it.

It is fine to say you cannot explain why you are asking. Nobody will press, and the technical part of the question can usually be answered without the context.

Worth checking against a second source before it gets quoted onward.

Confirming post #136 from a second method, which matters more than confirming it from a second person.

Five questions in one post gets you one answer: the easiest one, usually not the one you needed most. Post them separately or pick the one that depends on the others least and ask that one first.