Download How do Antacids Work?

How do Antacids Work?
Digestion in the Stomach
• The stomach produces
hydrochloric acid to
start breaking down the
food you eat.
• This is a strong acid, but
the stomach has a thick
mucus lining to keep
itself from being
digested by the acid.
http://www.functionalfitmag.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Stomach-Plain.jpg
Heartburn
• When the stomach is too
full or when you have
swallowed air, the acid is
forced up out of the
stomach into the
unprotected esophagus.
• The acid reacts with the
unprotected tissue and
causes a burning
sensation commonly
known as "heart burn".
healthletter.mayoclinic.com
Antacids
• A weak base with at
least one of the active
chemical ingredients of
magnesium, sodium
bicarbonate, calcium
carbonate and
aluminum hydroxide
• The active ingredient
serves as a buffer
nutrivize.com
Antacids
• The most common ingredient
used is calcium carbonate
[CaCO3], also known as
limestone.
• This limestone is ground to a
powder, mixed with a starch
paste, and formed into a
tablet.
• Often flavoring and coloring is
added to make the tablet
more palatable and attractive.
• Other tablets contain insoluble
hydroxides that will help
neutralize hydrochloric acid.
nutrivize.com
Acid Blockers
• There are also newer
types of antacids that are
taken before eating.
• These consist of a
hormone [chemical
messenger] that reduces
the amount of acid
produced by the stomach.
• This is not the type of
antacid that we will
evaluate in this lab.
How do Antacids Work?
Your Task…
• Design an experiment to test the effectiveness
of some different liquid antacids.
• Perform the experiment.