Introduction
In a neutralizing reaction, the acidic compound donates a hydrogen cation and the basic compound donates a hydroxide anion which collectively form a product containing salt and water. The dissociation of the acid and base allows for the formation of the salt and water. Similarly, antacids are formulated to neutralize the hydrochloric acid present in the human …show more content…
The active ingredients/chemical compound present in the involved antacids Medi-first, Gelusil, Acalak and Alka-Seltzer are listed respectively: calcium carbonate, aluminum hydroxide/magnesium hydroxide, calcium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate (provided in Table 2). The effectiveness of each antacid listed above was tested and calculated in the same manner. Phenolphthalein indicator was used because of its ability to express the pH range of the solution during the acidic (colorless) and basic (pink) phase in the course of the experiment. NaOH is in fact a basic chemical compound used in this experiment, however its value was not considered in the total moles neutralized and for that reason, its value was subtracted to reflect the moles neutralized by just the