KUMASI TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
HOW GOOD IS YOUR ANTACID
BY
WATSON EZEKIEL
052041410017
SUPERVISED BY: MR. DENNIS ASANTE
25TH JULY 2022
ABSTRACT
When eating or drinking too much, people can face heartburn and certain stomach
issues due to the build up of gastric acid found in the stomach. To neutralize the acid
in the stomach an individual can take an antacid tablet. There are many different
brands that sell antacid medicine. In this lab an experiment was conducted to compare
the effectiveness of two antacids; megacid and aluminium hydroxide.
After several hours of experimenting it was concluded that aluminium hydroxide is
more effective than megacid thus more expensive than megacid.
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TABLE OF CONTENT
ABSTRACT.............................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................3
OBJECTIVES...................................................................................................................3
MATERIALS....................................................................................................................4
PROCEDURE..........................................................................................................................4
DATA/RESULTS.....................................................................................................................5
CALCULATIONS ...........................................................................................................6
CALCULATIONS............................................................................................................7
DISCUSSION / CONCLUSION..............................................................................................8
REFERENCES.......................................................................................................................10
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INTRODUCTION
When eating or drinking too much, people can face heartburn and certain stomach
issues due to the build up of gastric acid found in the stomach. To neutralize the acid
in the stomach an individual can take an antacid tablet. There are many different
brands that sell antacid medicine. In this lab we will test two different antacid brands
to see which one of them is the most effective according to amount of acid
neutralized per tablet.
By using titration methods, we can compare the effectiveness, both the cost and the
mass, of varying brands of antacid tablets. Titrations is a laboratory technique used to
determine the quantity of an unknown reagent (called analyte) by adding a reagent
(called titrant) with a known concentration. The titrant chemically reacts with the
analyte. To be able to determine the exact amount of acid neutralized by base, we will
use an indicator , a substance added to the titration, which changes color at the
endpoint (where the solution turn from acidic to basic). The purpose of this lab is to
determine the ability of antacids to neutralize hydrochloric acid by looking at different
brands and comparing their efficiency. In this lab we will use the data received from
titrating a solution and plug those values into a set of equations and compare.
OBJECTIVES
Determine by titration the relative effectiveness of two common antacids.
Prepare a “consumer Report” by comparing the two common antacids on the
basis of neutralizing ability, convenience and cost.
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MATERIALS
Apparatus Reagents
Burette Megacid
Ring Stand 0.06M HCL solution
250 mL Erlenmeyer flask Phenolphthalein indicator
50 ml graduated cylinder Distilled water
Mortar and pestle Aluminium Hydroxide tablets
Centigram balance
Laboratory aprons
Safetyn goggles
PROCEDURE
The mass of one antacid tablet was measured and recorded. The tables was then
crushed and the crushed particles was remeasured and its mass recorded. One-fourth
of powder was measured into a 250 ml flask with about 10 ml of distilled water. 3
drops of phenolpthalein indicator was added to the solution in the flask. 10 ml of
0.06M HCL solution was added to the flask. The amount of acid needed was
recorded. The burette was rinsed and about 5 ml of 0.06M HCL was added to the
burette rinsing. The burette was then filled to the 0.00 ml mark with 0.06M HCL . The
initial volume of the HCL was recored. The solution in the flask was titrated against
the HCl contained in the burette. The final burette was recorded on the data table
when there is any change in colour. The titration was done three more times to obtain
three trials for the first antacid.
The content of the burette was poured away and rinsed with distiled water and 0.06M
HCl. The burrete was then refilled with the 0.06M HCL solution and titrated against
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one-fourth of the powdered second antacid contained in a flask with 10ml of distilled.
The titation was repeated two more times to obtain three trials.
DATA/RESULTS
Brands of antacid used for the experiment were Aluminium Hydroxide and megacid
Experiment based on megacid only
TRIAL 1
Reaction equation of megacid and HCl; Mg(OH)2 + 2HCl → MgCl2 + 2H2O
Mass of a single tablet of megacid = 1.88g
¼ mass of megacid tablet = 0.47g
Volume of HCl used = 10ml
3 drops of phenolphthalein in the beaker containing the megacid solution.
10ml of 0.06HCl was added and then swirl to mixing of the contents
No colour changes were seen during the observation therefore this solution does not
qualify to proceed to the titration
TRIAL 2
The procedure is repeated again for the second sample of megacid but this time
around, the mass of the megacid is increased to halve the actual mass
OBSERVATION
No colour change was observed
TRIAL 3
The same procedure is repeated with the same mass as in the trial two uh with 20ml of
HCl and 3 drops of the indicator.
OBSERVATION
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No colour changes were observed.
Since there was no colour changes the experiment on megacid is not proceed to
titration.
The reasons for thew lack of colour changes are elaborated in the result discussion
CALCULATIONS
PART ONE;
V(HCl)= 0.001L
C(HCl)=0.06M
Therefore, moles of HCl = 0.001×0.06 = 0.00006 mol
From the stoichiometric equation, the moles of megacid needed can be calculated;
2 moles of HCl = 1 moles of Mg(OH)2
n(Mg(OH)2)= 2×n(HCl) = 2×0.00006
=0.0012 moles
Molar mass of Mg(OH)2 = 58.32g/mol
Hence actual mass of magnesium hydroxide= 58.32×0.0012
=0.06998g = 0.07g
The actual mass of magnesium hydroxide that can be neutralized by that molar
amount of HCl is
And the mass(g) of HCl needed = n=m/Mr
Therefore mass = n×Mr
0.00006 × 36.458 =0.00219g
The amount in mass of HCl needed per this antacid;
If 0.07 = 0.00219
0.047 ×0.00219
Then 0.047= = 0.00147g
0.07
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1.88× 0.00219
But for a single tablet or a dose the, mass is 1.88g = =0.0588g
0.07
PART TWO:
BRAND NAME MASS USED
Aluminium hydroxide tablet 1.088g
Aluminium hydroxide powder 1.036g
One fourth of powder 0.258g
3HCl + Al(OH)3 → AlCl3 + 3H2O
Mass of Aluminium hydroxide for titration: 0.25g
Indicator used: Phenolphthalein
Colour observed: Pink to colourless
TRIAL 1 TRIAL 2 TRIAL 3 TRIAL 4
Final volume / mL 1.50 2.50 1.00 1.50
Initial volume / mL 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Volume of HCl used 1.50 2.50 1.00 1.50
Average titre
CALCULATIONS
Average amount of HCl to neutralize 0.25g Aluminium hydroxide
Average amount of HCl needed per gram of Aluminium hydroxide
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Mass (HCl)
DISCUSSION / CONCLUSION
The experiment was performed to compare two antacids by using titration method.
The results obtain from the stoichiometric calculation shows that the two antacids
could have the same neutralizing ability and effectiveness but experiment proved not
to be the same. Experimental calculations were done to know the average amount of
HCl needed per gram of each antacid and the average amount of HCl needed to
neutralize the recommended dose of the antacid. The calculation performed shows
that Aluminium hydroxide is most effective in both categories and this is because it
has the highest value for moles of HCl neutralized per tablet. Most of the data points
were consistent which proves the validity of the experiment. While experimenting we
are trying to find out which antacid can be neutralized with 10ml 0r more but not
exceed 50mL, but the antacid that is neutralized with the lowest volume of the base is
definitely going to have its equivalence points closer. From the experiment 10mL of
the acid was found to neutralize that mass of aluminium hydroxide acid most
effectively. After experimenting and data collection, the results has shown that
aluminium hydroxide antacid has the ability to neutralize acids. Therefore, it can be
concluded that aluminium hydroxide is more effective in neutralizing stomach acids
than megacid when taken. From the experimental result shown above magacid has
lower neutralizing ability but antacid has a very high neutralization ability and also it
is very convenient.
A reaction between Calcium carbonate and stomach acid (HCl)
CaC O3 +2 HCl → CaC l 2+ H 2 O+C O2
A reaction between Magnesium hydroxide and stomach acid (HCl)
Mg (OH )2 +2 HCl → MgC l 2 +2 H 2 O
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Aluminium hydroxide because it is more effective per dose in neutralizing stomach
acid due to the high concentration of its active ingredient resulting in the ability to
neutralize the acid faster. Aluminium hydroxide is cost effective than megacid, since
the quality product is expected to have higher cost than the non-quality product
because the more effective a product is the more it is purchased, therefore the increase
in price.
REFERENCES
David Harvey, modern analytical chemistry, (1956); 1st Ed; McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc. Chapter 7 (p 20).
Jonathan Clayden. (2005) Chemistry, 4th Ed., Czako learning, Inc.
Skoog, D. A.; West, D. M. (1963) Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry; Holt,
Rinehart and Winston: New York, pp 341-351.
McMurry John, (2008) Analytical Chemistry, 7 th Ed., Thomas learning, Inc.