To compare neutralizing power of anti-acid tablets of different brands

Stomachache is quite a common disease in Hong Kong. The main symptom is intolerable pain just below the ribs, in the centre of the body or slightly to the left. The most important cause of such nuisance is the production of too much hydrochloric acid. Nervous tension, irregular meals, too much smoking and drinking, and lack of sleep may probably account for the over production of acid. ANTI-ACIDS, admittedly, help to ease the pang.

Theory
Brief Introduction
Anti-acids are substances that can relieve indigestion, as well as stomach disturbance, through neutralization or reaction with gastric juice ( about 0.1M hydrochloric acid ). They usually contain metal hydroxides, trisilicates, carbonates or hydrogencarbonates. The excess stomach acid is effectively neutralized by appropriately taking them.

Peptic ulcer gets attributed to the disregard of slight stomachache.

Theory
Experimental principle
The entire experiment is run through the chemical notion of neutralization. The amount of anti-acid in a sample can be estimated by the reaction with a standard excess acid, HCl. After the reaction has completed, the excess acid is back titrated with a standard NaOH solution. The neutralizing power of of an antiacid can then be expressed in terms of the number of mole of acid, which reacts with a certain quantity of the medicine.

Theory
Common ingredients in anti-acid tablets
magnesium hydroxide Mg(OH)2 (s) + 2HCl (aq) MgCl2 (aq) + 2H2O (l) aluminium hydroxide Al(OH)3 (s) + 3HCl (aq) AlCl3 (aq) + 3H2O (l) magnesium carbonate & calcium carbonate MgCO3 (s) + 2HCl (aq) MgCl2 (aq) + H2O (l) + CO2 (g) CaCO3 (s) + 2HCl (aq) CaCl2 (aq) + H2O (l) + CO2 (g) sodium hydrogencarbonate NaHCO3 (aq) + HCl (aq) NaCl (aq) + H2O (l) + CO2 (g) calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2 (aq) + HCl (aq) CaCl2 (aq) + H2O (l)

Materials & equipment

Anti-acid samples
1) Bismag - $ 66 per bottle with 165 tablets - sodium hydrogencarbonate & magnesium carbonate as active ingredients 2) Gastrofilm - $ 10 per package with 10 tablets - calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate & aluminium hydroxide as active ingredients 3) Weisen-U - $ 43.5 per bottle with 30 tablets - aluminium hydroxide & magnesium hydroxide as active ingredients

Materials & equipment

Chemicals
1) ~ 0.1M hydrochloric acid, HCl 2) ~ 0.1M sodium hydroxide solution, NaOH 3) methyl orange indicator

Apparatus
1) 25.00 cm 3 pipette 2) 50.00 cm 3 burette 3) pipette filler 4) mortar & pestle 5) burette clamp & stand 6) wash bottle 7) white tile 8) conical flasks 9) glass rod 10) measuring cylinder 11) filter funnels 12) filter papers 13) activated charcoal 14) electrical balance

Experimental procedures
The experiment includes two successive processes: (A) Reacting anti-acid tablets with 75 cm3 of the given hydrochloric acid 1. Label four conical flasks respectively. 2. Weigh the anti-acid pills one by one by using an electrical balance. 3. Using a pipette filler, pipette 75 cm3 of the given hydrochloric acid into each of the flasks. 4. Crush the tablet samples into fine powder, using mortar and pestle. 5. Transfer all the powder into each of the corresponding conical flask. ( In doing so, use a little water to rinse the mortar and pestle. All the washing is added to the flask. Repeat the washing if necessary. ) 6. Leave the flasks to stand for a while. This allows plenty of time for the anti-acids to react thoroughly.

Experimental procedures
(B) Finding volume of 0.1M sodium hydroxide solution needed to neutralize the hydrochloric acid left over from Part A
7. Add a spoon of activated charcoal to the conical flasks, with a view to absorbing the colourings, and then filter the suspensions. 8. Add two drops of methyl orange indicator to one of the conical flasks, as well as swirling the flask gently to mix the contents. 9. Fill the burette with 0.1M sodium hydroxide solution. 10. Titrate the solution in the flask with sodium hydroxide solution from the burette, until the solution just turns to a permanent orange colour. 11. Record both of the initial and final readings. 12. Repeat the above with the other samples.

Experimental results
The titration results are as follows:
Acid alone Acid + Bismag 33.00 cm3 Acid + Gastrofilm 27.00 cm3 Acid + Weisen-U 28.80 cm3

Final burette reading 77.70 cm3

Initial burette reading 2.70 cm3 Volume of NaOH (aq) used

2.80 cm3

3.00 cm3

5.40 cm3

75.00 cm3

30.20 cm3

24.00 cm3

23.40 cm3

Experimental results ( Histogram )

80 60 40 20
Acid + Bismag Acid alone Acid + Gastrofilm Acid + Weisen-U

Volume of NaOH used Initial burette reading Final burette reading

Calculation & interpretation

(a) One of the conical flasks contains 75.00cm3 of the hydrochloric acid, without any anti-acid added to it. From the titration results, volume of 0.1M sodium hydroxide solution needed to neutralize the acid = 75.00 cm3 (b) In each of the remaining flasks, an anti-acid tablet of different brands has been added. Some of the hydrochloric acid has already been neutralize by the pill before titration. Therefore, in each case, the decrease in volume of sodium hydroxide solution required , compared with (a), measures the neutralizing power of the tablet.

HCl (aq) + NaOH (aq) NaCl (aq) + H2O (l) Through the equation, the neutralizing power of those tablet samples can easily be compared in terms of the number of mole of the standard acid.

Calculation & interpretation

(I) Bismag
mass of tablet = 0.35 g neutralizing power of a tablet is equivalent to 75 - 30.2 = 44.5 cm3 of 0.1M sodium hydroxide solution No. of moles of HCl (aq) neutralized = 0.1 x 0.0445 = 0.00445 mol neutralizing power of Bismag = 0.00445 units

Volume of 0.1M HCl (aq) neutralized per $ of anti-acid 44.5 cm3 / $ 0.4 = 111.25 cm3/ $ Cost for the complete neutralization of 1 cm3 of 0.1M HCl (aq) $ 0.4 / 44.5 cm3 = $ 0.008989 / cm3

Calculation & interpretation

As for the active ingredients, NaHCO3 (aq) + HCL (aq) NaCl (aq) + CO2 (g) + H2O (l) MgCO3 (aq) + 2HCl (aq) MgCl2 (aq) + CO2 (g)+ H2O (l) Let the mass of NaHCO3 and MgCO3 be XB and YB . Formula mass of NaHCO3 = 22.98977 + 1.00794 + 12.011 + 15.9994 x3 = 84.00691 No. of moles of NaHCO3 = XB / 84.00691 Formula mass of MgCO3 = 24. 305 + 12.011 + 15.9994x3 = 84.3142 No. of moles of MgCO3 = YB / 84.3142

Calculation & interpretation

Since XB : YB = 1 : 1,
XB / 84.00691 + 2YB / 84.3142 = 0.00445 By solving the equation, XB = 0.1249 & YB = 0.1249 The mass of NaHCO3 is 0.1249 g. The mass of MgCO3 is 0.1249 g. % mass of NaHCO3 = 0.1249 / 0.35 = 35.5686 % % mass of MgCO3 = 0.1249 / 0.35 = 35.5686 %

Calculation & interpretation

(II) Gastrofilm
mass of tablet = 0.84 g neutralizing power of a tablet is equivalent to 75 - 24 = 51 cm3 of 0.1M sodium hydroxide solution No. of moles of HCl (aq) neutralized = 0.1 x 0.051 = 0.0051 mol neutralizing power of Gastrofilm = 0.0051 units Volume of 0.1M HCl (aq) neutralized per $ of anti-acid 51 cm3 / $ 1 = 51 cm3/ $ Cost for the complete neutralization of 1 cm3 of 0.1M HCl (aq) $ 1 / 51 cm3 = $ 0.01961 / cm3

Calculation & interpretation

As for the active ingredients, CaCO2 (aq) + 2HCL (aq) CaCl2 (aq) + CO2 (g) + H2O (l) MgCO3 (aq) + 2HCl (aq) MgCl2 (aq) + CO2 (g)+ H2O (l) Al(OH)3 (aq) + 3HCl (aq) AlCl3 (aq) + H2O (l)
Let the mass of CaCO2 , MgCO3 and Al(OH)3 be XG ,YG and ZG respectively. Formula mass of CaCO2 = 40.08 + 12.011 + 15.9994 x3 = 100.0892 No. of moles of CaCO2 = XG / 100.0892 Formula mass of MgCO3 = 24. 305 + 12.011 + 15.9994 x3 = 84.3142 No. of moles of MgCO3 = YG / 84.3142

Calculation & interpretation

Formula mass of Al(OH)3 = 26.98154 + (15.9994 + 1.00749) x3 = 78.00221 No. of moles of Al(OH)3 = ZG / 78.00221 Since XG : YG : ZG = 5 : 3 : 2, 2XG / 100.0892 + 2YG / 84.3142 + 3ZG / 78.00221 = 0.0051 By solving the equation, XG = 0.2056 , YG = 0.1234 & ZG = 0.08226 The masses of CaCO2 , MgCO3 and Al(OH)3 are 0.2056 g, 0.1234 g and 0.08226 g respectively. % mass of CaCO2 = 0.2056 / 0.84 % mass of Al(OH)3 = 0.08226 / 0.84 = 24.4762 % = 9.7929 % % mass of MgCO3 = 0.1234 / 0.84 = 13.6905 %

Calculation & interpretation

(III) Weisen-U
mass of tablet = 0.51 g neutralizing power of a tablet is equivalent to 75 - 23.4 = 51.6 cm3 of 0.1M sodium hydroxide solution No. of moles of HCl (aq) neutralized = 0.1 x 0.0516 = 0.00516 mol neutralizing power of Weisen-U = 0.00516 units Volume of 0.1M HCl (aq) neutralized per $ of anti-acid 51.6 cm3 / $ 1.45 = 35.5862 cm3/ $ Cost for the complete neutralization of 1 cm3 of 0.1M HCl (aq) $ 1.45 / 51.6 cm3 = $ 0.02810 / cm3

Calculation & interpretation

As for the active ingredients, Al(OH)3 (aq) + 3HCL (aq) AlCl3 (aq) + 3H2O (l) Mg(OH)2 (aq) + 2HCl (aq) MgCl2 (aq) + 2H2O (l)
Let the mass of Al(OH)3 and Mg(OH)2 be XW and YW . Formula mass of Al(OH)3 = 26.98154 + ( 15.9994 + 1.00794 ) x3 = 78.00356 No. of moles of Al(OH)3 = XW / 78.00356 Formula mass of Mg(OH)2 = 24.305 + ( 15.9994 + 1.00794 ) x2 = 58.31968 No. of moles of Mg(OH)2 = YW / 58.31968

Calculation & interpretation

Since XW : YW = 5 : 4,
3XW / 78.00356 + 2YW / 58.31968 = 0.00516 By solving the equation, XB = 0.1958 & YB = 0.1566 The mass of Al(OH)3 is 0.1958 g. The mass of Mg(OH)2 is 0.1566 g. % mass of NaHCO3 = 0.1958 / 0.51 = 38.3856 % % mass of MgCO3 = 0.1566 / 0.51 = 30.7059 %

Conclusion
Having conducted the experiment step by steep, the neutralizing powers of the three anti-acids, Bismag, Gastrofilm, and Weisen-U, are consequently figured out. Weisen-U > Gastrofilm > Bismag Shown by the descending order, Weisen-U has the greatest neutralizing power of 0.00516 units. By a subtle discrepancy, Gastrofilm is renowned for its neutralizing power of 0.0051 units, followed by Bismag, who has the value of 0.00445 units. On the contrary, in an economic criterion, the order is exactly reverse. Bismag walks along with the repute of the best-buy ($0.008989 / cm3) . The second one is Gastrofilm ($0.01961 /cm3) . Unexpectedly, Weisen-U is alleged as the most insubstantial anti-acid ($0.02810 / cm3), compared with the others.