Exercise No.

Assay of Milk of Magnesia

OBJECTIVE:
1. To assay the magnesium hydroxide content of milk of magnesia by acidimetric residual
titration

MATERIALS:
- Milk of magnesia
- Sodium Hydroxide, 1 N
- Sulfuric Acid, 1 N
- Methyl red, T.S
- Top loading balance
- Pipet, 5 mL
- Erlenmeyer flask, 250 mL
- Acid buret
- Fisher stand
- Aspirator pump

ASSAY PROCEDURE:
1. Weigh 5.0 g of milk of magnesia in an Erlenmeyer flask.
2. Add 25 mL of 1 N H2SO4 using a buret. Then, add 3 drops of methyl red T.S
3. Titrate the excess acid with 1 N Sodium Hydroxide until a yellow color is produced.

Titer value: each mL of 1 N sulfuric acid is equivalent to 29.16 mg of Magnesium hydroxide.

Calculate the % Mg(OH)2 content of MOM using the formula:

%Mg ¿

Using the titer value:

%Mg ¿

USP Requirement : The percentage limit for MOM is NLT 7% and NMT 85.

Questions:
1. What type of titration is involved in the assay of milk of magnesia?
2. What are the standard solutions used in the assay? Explain why they are used.
3. What is the purpose of adding an excess of 1 N sulfuric acid to the sample of MOM?
4. Write the chemical reactions involved when the milk of magnesia is dissolved and upon
residual titration.
5. Calculate the Mg ¿ content of MOM, 12.32 g of which was dissolved in 50 mL of 1.0340
N sulfuric acid producing a mixture that required 24.6 mL of 1.1255 N sodium hydroxide.

EXERCISE NO. 5: Assay of Milk of Magnesia

NAME:____________________________ YEAR AND SECTION: ____________________