Name : Yip Tsz Ho Class : 7B Class no.

: 31 Date of the experiment : 13/10/2011 Number of experiment : 3 Title : Analysis of Aspirin Tablets Aim of experiment: To investigate the actual amount of the active ingredient(2-ethanoyloxybenzoic acid) in a brand of aspirin tablets and compare it with the manufacturers claims to see if his claims is justified. Underlying chemical principle of the method 2-ethanoyloxybenzoic acid can be readily hydrolyzed into sodium salts of ethanoic acid and 2-hydroxybenzoic acid by using a known excess of sodium hydroxide. The equation for the hydrolysis reaction:
O OH O O + 2 NaOH O OH a N + O Na OH OH +

H2O (l)

CH3CO2C6H4CO2H (s) + 2 NaOH (aq) CH3CO2Na (aq) + HOC6H4CO2Na (aq) + H2O (1) The excess amount of sodium hydroxide can be estimated by the back titration with standard sulphuric(VI) acid. Phenol red(pH range 6.8-8.4) is the most suitable indicator for this experiment on account of the presence of the salts of two weak acids (ethanoic acid and 2hydroxybenzoic acid),though phenolphthalein is also satisfactory for the present purpose. Chemicals 1.0M NAOH, standard sulphuric (VI) acid (about 0.05M), two aspirin tablets, phenolphthalein indicator(2 or 3 drops), deionized water

Apparatus Apparatus Balance 25 cm3 pipette burette 250 cm3 volumetric flask Beaker(100 cm3 ) Dropper Stand and burette clamp Glass rod 250 cm3 conical flask Beaker(600 cm3) Pipette filler Filter funnel Reagent bottle Quantity 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2

1. 2.

3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Procedures Weigh accurately two aspirin tablets (totally no more than 1.5g) and then put them into a 250 cm3 conical flask. Use the pipette filler and pipette to deliver 25.0 cm3 of 1.0M of sodium hydroxide into the 250 cm3 conical flask to initiate the hydrolysis. Then dilute the mixture with 25.0 cm3 of deionized water and use the glass rod to stir the mixture well. Use a hot water bath to warm the flask gently for ten minutes to complete the hydrolysis. Cool the flask after warming the flask. Transfer the reaction mixture along with washings quantitatively to a 250 cm3 volumetric flask and dilute the mixture to the mark with deionized water. Shake the flask to mix the reaction mixture well Rinse the pipette with the reaction mixture and then deliver 25.0 cm3 of the reaction mixture to another 250 cm3 conical flask. Rinse the burette with deionized water and then standard sulphuric(VI) acid . Then use the filter funnel to fill the burette with the standard sulphuric(VI) acid. Add few drops of phenolphthalein indicator to the 25.0cm3 aliquots of the diluted reaction mixture in the 250 cm3 conical flask.

9. Record the initial burette reading and start the titration. 10. Stop the titration when the mixture turns pink . Then record the final burette reading and calculate the amount of acid added. 11. Calculate the mass of 2-ethanoyloxybenzoic acid in each tablet and compare the results with the manufacturers specification. Table summarizing titration results Trial 1st Initial 8.70 7.50 burette reading (cm3 ) Final burette 30.05 28.70 3 reading (cm ) Amount of 21.35 21.20 acid added (cm3 )

2nd 6.35

3rd 6.65

Average /

27.50 21.15

27.80 21.15

/ 21.17

Treatment of data involving calculations Number of moles of standard sulphuric(VI) acid added = (21.17/1000) x 0.05 = 1.0585 x 10-3 mol Number of moles of excess sodium hydroxide in 250cm3 reaction mixture = 2 x 1.0585 x 10-3 x 10 = 2.117 x 10-2 mol Number of moles of sodium hydroxide added to the tablets before warming = (25/1000) x 1.0 = 0.025 mol Number of moles of sodium hydroxide reacted with 2-ethanoyloxybenzoic acid = 0.025 2.117 x 10-2 = 3.83 x 10-3 mol Number of moles of 2-ethanoyloxybenzoic acid reacted with sodium hydroxide = (3.83 x 10-3 ) / 2 = 1.915 x 10-3 mol Molar mass of 2-ethanoyloxybenzoic acid = 12(9) + 16(4) + 8(1) = 180 Mass of 2-ethanoyloxybenzoic acid in those 2 tablets = (1.915 x 10-3 ) x (180) = 0.3447 g Mass of 2-ethanoyloxybenzoic acid per tablet = 0.3447/2 = 0.17235g Difference between the found mass and the manufacturers claim = 0.17235 0.1 = 0.07235g % difference between the mass obtained by us and manufacturers claim = (0.17235-0.1)/0.1 = 72.35% Conclusion of the investigation

The mass of 2-ethanoyloxybenzoic acid per tablet found is 0.17235g and it is higher than the manufacturers claim which is 0.1g. The difference between the found mass and manufacturers claim is 0.07235g and the % difference is 72.35%. Therefore the manufacturers claim is not justified. Precaution 1. Sodium hydroxide and sulphuric(VI) acid are irritant and we should handle it with great care and wear safety goggles. 2. The 25 cm3 pipette should be rinsed by the reaction mixture in 250 cm3 volumetric flask before delivered to the conical flask. 3. The burette should be rinsed by deionized water first and then by sulphuric(VI) acid before starting the titration. 4. The balance have to be set zero before measuring the weight of the tablets. Discussion The mass of 2-ethanolyloxybenzoic acid found in each tablet is 0.17235g. The resulted obtained has a 72.35% difference with manufacturers claim and it has a great difference when compared with the manufacturers claim and the mass of 2ethanoyloxybenzoic acid in each tablet is found to be higher than the value stated by the product. The explanation to the result is that the tablets may contain other ingredients that will react with sodium hydroxide. It makes the number of moles of sodium hydroxide reacted with 2-ethanoyloxybenzoic acid becomes overestimated and leads to the huge difference between the obtained mass and manufacturers claim.