Medical chemistry

Experiment 4 :

Determine the percentage of active substance in aspirin

By Lecturer : Dr . Huda Mahdi

College of Dentistry - University of Basrah
 INTRODUCTION

Aspirin: is anti-inflammatory drug used to

reduce pain, fever, and/or inflammation, and as an
antithrombotic. Aspirin is also used long-term to help
prevent further heart attacks, ischaemic strokes, and
blood clots people at high risk..

• The active ingredient in aspirin, and the chemical

for which aspirin is the common name, is
acetylsalicylic acid (is a weak acid) and also include
inactive ingredients that help produce a consistent
product .
 Aspirin

Trade names : Bayer Aspirin,

Other names:
2-acetoxybenzoic acid
acetylsalicylate
acetylsalicylic acid

Formula: C9H8O4
Is a white crystalline. Molar mass: 180.159 g·mol−1

Different strengths of aspirin are based on the amount of acetylsalicylic acid

present. In this experiment, you will measure this amount by using a quantitative
technique known as titration.
 What is a titration?

A titration is a procedure for determining the concentration of a solution

(the analyte) by allowing a carefully measured volume of this solution to react
with another solution whose concentration is known (the titrant).
The point in the titration where enough of the titrant has been
added to react exactly with the analyte is called the
equivalence point, and occurs when moles of titrant equals
moles of analyte according to the balanced equation.

Number of moles of OH = Number of moles of HA

 Indicator

Chemical indicator, any substance that gives a visible sign, usually by

a colour change. An example is the substance called phenolphthalein .
The colour of the ph.p solution depends upon the pH range of the
solution.
Titration Procedure:
 Record the exact molarity of the NaOH
(aq), which is labeled on the stock bottle.
 Rinse the inside of the burette with
distilled water.
 Now rinse the burette with a small
amount of NaOH (aq)
 Fill the burette with NaOH (aq) up to the top,now measure the
volume at the level of the NaOH precisely, and record it as the “Initial
Burette Reading on your report.
Find the mass of an aspirin tablet using the electronic balances.
.
Place this aspirin tablet in a 250mL Erlenmeyer flask.
Add 20mL of distilled water to the Erlenmeyer flask.
Wait around 30 seconds for the aspirin tablet to swell and fall apart.
 After the tablet falls apart, add 20mL of ethanol to dissolve the
aspirin.
 Swirl the solution to ensure that it is homogenous. There is likely
to be undissolved binder remaining in the flask. This is ok.
 Add 5 drops of phenolphthalein indicator to the flask.

Performing the titration:

 Begin the titration by slowly adding NaOH (aq) from the burette
to the aspirin solution in the Erlenmeyer flask.
 Swirl Erlenmeyer flask as you add the base in order to efficiently
mix the chemicals.
 Eventually will turn the solution in the Erlenmeyer flask a pale
pink color that does not disappear when swirled. This indicates that
the equivalence point has been reached.

 Do not add any more NaOH (aq) at this point. Measure this
volume of NaOH (aq) precisely, and record it as the “Final Burette
Reading” on your repote.
 Calculations

Aspirin
 Total mass of an aspirin tablet.
 The total volume of the aspirin solution (20 ml water + 20 ml .
The molecular weight of acetylsalicylic acid C9H8O4 = 180 methanol)
converts the volume to liters
NaOH (aq)

 NaOH con.= 0,1 M

 volume of sodium hydroxide solution from burette V NaOH =V1-V2.

The initial v. of NaOH V1 The final V. of NaOH V2

 Calculations

M1 * V1 (OH) = M1 * V1 (H)

Number of moles of OH = Number of moles of H+ (equivalence point)

M1 * V1 (OH) = Number of moles of H+

 Find the amount of acid in grams.

n=m/Mt ------ m=n*Mt

 The percentage of acid in an aspirin tablet.
%= (amount of acid in grams) / (Total mass of an aspirin tablet)X100