We did another lab this week dealing with the acids in our stomach. The purpose of this experiment was to see how well antacids neutralize the acids in our stomach. In our experiment, we decided to see if the generic brands of antacids work as well as the name brands that we pay more money for. I hypothesized that the generic brands would work just as well as the name brands.
The pH scale measures how basic or acidic a substance is. A substance that has a pH level that is less than 7 is defined as an acid. If the pH level is greater than 7, than the substance is identified as basic or alkaline. A substance with a pH level of 7 is considered neutral. An example of a substance with a pH level of 7 would be pure water. You can test the pH level of a substance by using special pH level testing strips that change color to indicate the level.
We began by measuring 25 milliliters of vinegar in a graduated cylinder. We then poured the vinegar into a cup and repeated this three more times so that we would have four cups of vinegar. We used the vinegar to act as the acids in our stomach. We then used a pH testing strip to test the pH of the vinegar, which had a pH of 3. The next step was to test the antacids in the vinegar. We ground up two tablets of regular strength, peppermint Tums with a mortar and pestle until it was completely crushed. Then we poured the crushed up tablets into one of the cups of vinegar. The mixture rapidly bubbled up and the tablets completely dissolved. When we tested the pH level of this mixture with a pH level testing strip, it was at a 6. We then repeated these steps with two tablets of regular strength, peppermint Safeway brand antacids. When we poured these ground up tablets into the vinegar, they didn’t want to mix in or dissolve. After we stirred it for a few minutes, the powder still sat on top of the vinegar. We tested this mixture and it had a pH level of 5. We repeated the steps for one final time with two tablets of regular strength, peppermint Equate antacids. The powder sat on top, but after we stirred it, it mixed in a little bit and foamed up. The pH level of this mix was a 5.
The results of this experiment show that all of the brands did neutralize the vinegar. However, the name brand antacid, Tums, did have a higher pH level than the generic Safeway and Equate brands. This means that the name brand neutralized the vinegar better than the generic brands. So my hypothesis was not exactly correct. I thought that all three brands would work the same, but the name brand did work a little better than the generic brands. I guess in this case, the name brand is worth spending the extra money because it really does work better than the generic brands.
cecelyfranz 
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