PLANNING AND DESIGNING

Problem statement:

Your grandmother is suffering from acid indigestion. You search your cupboard and find
Epsom salt, baking soda and lemon juice.

Plan and design an experiment to find out which of the substances will ease the discomfort
caused by the acid indigestion.

Hypothesis

Epsom salt will ease the discomfort caused by acid indigestion rather than baking
soda and lemon juice.

Aim

To determine which of these substances epsom salt, baking soda or lemon juice will
ease the discomfort caused by acid indigestion using litmus paper.

Apparatus and Materials

Epsom salt, baking soda, lemon juice, distilled water, measuring cylinder, litmus
paper, beaker, stirring rod, spatula

Procedure

1. Place 2 cm3 of distilled water into a beaker.

2. Add a teaspoon of epsom salt in the beaker and stir for 10 seconds.
3. The mixture is tested with litmus paper
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for baking soda (with lemon juice put 2 cm3 of the substance
in the beaker and test)
5. Record observations

Variables:

Control(1)

The amount of each substance used, the volume of liquid used

Manipulated(1)

The type of substance used

Responding variable(1)

The litmus paper

Data to be collected

the change in the colour of the litmus paper

- A table containing NO actual data (1)

A TABLE SHOWING THE COLOUR CHANGE OF LITMUS PAPER AFTER PLACED IN A

SUBSTANCE

Type of Litmus Paper Substance used Colour Change of litmus

paper

Expected Results(3)

Baking soda can temporarily neutralize stomach acid and provide relief from acid
indigestion as this substance is a light base used to neutralize hydrochloric acid
(stomach acid) making the hypothesis incorrect.

Limitations(1)

- Epsom salt and baking soda may not be effective for acid indigestion and may even
aggravate the condition.

Baking soda can temporarily neutralize stomach acid and provide relief from acid
indigestion however, this is not a long term solution and may lead to other health
problems like stomach gas.

- Lemon juice may provide temporary relief but may also worsen acid indigestion in
some cases.
Assumptions (1)

The cause of acid indigestion is not due to any serious medical conditions

The ingredients are safe to use and will cause any serious medical conditions

Source of Errors

Litmus paper used to measure the acidity or alkalinity of the solutions may not be
accurate enough to provide precise measurements.

The remedies may be contaminated with impurities that can affect a proper reading.

Failure to identify the underlying cause of the acid indigestion may result in
inadequate treatment.

Precautions(1)

Litmus paper used to measure the acidity or alkalinity of the solutions should be
calibrated properly to ensure accurate measurements.

Seek medical attention if symptoms worsen or persist after the patient takes the
substance.