Statement of Purpose ......................................................................... 2
Scientific Question: ............................................................................. 2
Scientific Terms .................................................................................. 2
Hydrochloric Acid ............................................................................ 2
Dissolution ...................................................................................... 3
Solvent ............................................................................................ 3
Soluble ............................................................................................ 3
Rate ................................................................................................ 3
Enzyme ........................................................................................... 4
Acetylsalicylic Acid .......................................................................... 4
Hypothesis: ........................................................................................ 4
Materials: ........................................................................................... 5
Procedure: .......................................................................................... 5
Methods of Data Collection ................................................................. 7
Quantitative Data ............................................................................ 7
Qualitative Data............................................................................... 7
Data Table 1 ....................................................................................... 8
Data Chart 1 ....................................................................................... 9
Analytical Approach .......................................................................... 11
Conclusion .................................................................................... 11
Errors ............................................................................................ 11
Applications .................................................................................. 11
Improvements ............................................................................... 12
Bibliography ..................................................................................... 13
Statement of Purpose
Have you ever had a headache, or for that matter any ache? Did you
ever wonder which pain reliever works the fastest to cure that ache? Well
that is what I plan to find out. I am going to see which pain reliever
dissolves the fastest. I will test both coated and uncoated aspirin tablets
to see which dissolves faster in a stomach acid solution. I will use a
magnetic stirrer to make sure the pills are stirred at the same rate. So,
which will cure your ache faster?
Scientific Question:
Which pain reliever will dissolve the fastest, coated or uncoated
aspirin?
Scientific Terms
Hydrochloric Acid
Hydrochloric acid is the solution of hydrogen chloride in water.
Stomach acid is a weakened form of hydrochloric acid. Some other uses
for hydrochloric acid are food processing and pickling, metal cleaning,
and ore reduction.
Dissolution
Dissolution is the breaking down of parts or fragments. Companies
often coat their pills to prolong dissolution or make them easier to
swallow. Food and other things you swallow go through the process of
dissolution in the stomach.
Solvent
A solvent is a substance that dissolves another substance to make
a mixture. The solvent is the largest part of the mixture. Most of the time
solvents are liquids but they can also be solids or gases. My solvent will
be hydrochloric acid.
Soluble
Soluble means easily dissolved in liquid. The pill that is the most
soluble will dissolve the fastest in the acid.
Rate
A rate is a special kind of ratio in which two measurements are
related.
Enzyme
An enzyme is a protein made by the body that brings about a
chemical reaction. For example, enzymes are made by the digestive
system to aid the digestion of food.
Acetylsalicylic Acid
Acetylsalicylic acid is an NSAID medication that is used for treating
fever, pain and inflammation throughout the body. Acetylsalicylic acid is
more commonly known as aspirin.
Hypothesis:
If I dissolve both coated and uncoated aspirin in a stomach acid
solution, then I hypothesize that the uncoated aspirin will dissolve faster.
I formed my hypothesis based on the fact that uncoated aspirin has no
coating to prevent it from dissolving.
Materials:

12 mL of concentrated hydrochloric acid

1350 mL of water

500 mL graduated cylinder

10 mL graduated cylinder

250 mL beaker

5 tablets (325 mg) of coated aspirin

5 tablets (325 mg) of non-coated aspirin

1 magnetic stirrer / hot plate

1 magnetic stirring rod

1 thermometer

1 stop watch
Procedure:
1. Research topic.
2. Form hypothesis.
3. Gather materials.
4. Mix 12 mL of hydrochloric acid with 1350 mL of water in the 5000
mL beaker. It will make the artificial stomach acid.
5. Pour 100 mL of the artificial stomach into the 250 mL beaker.
6. Place the beaker on the magnetic stirrer / hot plate. Heat to 37
degrees C, using the thermometer to measure the temperature.
7. Add the stirring bar, one uncoated aspirin tablet, and 100 mL of
water to the beaker.
8. Start the stopwatch.
9. Observe the beaker until the aspirin is completely dissolved.
10.
11.
Stop the stopwatch and record the time.
Repeat steps four – seven four more times for a total of five
trials.
12.
Repeat steps four – eight for the coated aspirin.
13.
Analyze Data.
14.
Form conclusion.
Methods of Data Collection
Quantitative Data
To collect my data I will use a stopwatch to monitor the time the
aspirin tablet takes to dissolve. I will measure my data in minutes and
seconds.
Qualitative Data
I will be observing how long it takes for each aspirin tablet to
dissolve.
Data Table 1
Trial Trial Trial Trial Trial
Standard
Average
1
2
3
4
5
Deviation
0:00:25
0:00:25
0:00:27
0:00:30
0:00:23
0:00:26
0.00003
0:35:50
0:37:13
0:57:03
0:59:02
0:43:43
0:46:22
0.00693
Uncoated
Aspirin
Coated
Aspirin
Data Chart 1
Data Chart 1
Uncoated Aspirin
0:00:30
0:00:30
0:00:27
Time Elapsed in Seconds
0:00:26
0:00:25
0:00:25
0:00:23
0:00:22
0:00:17
0:00:13
0:00:09
0:00:04
0:00:00
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Trials
Trial 4
Trial 5
Data Chart 2
Coated Aspirin
1:04:48
0:59:02
Time Elapsed in Minutes and Seconds
0:57:03
0:57:36
0:50:24
0:43:43
0:43:12
0:37:13
0:34:50
0:36:00
0:28:48
0:21:36
0:14:24
0:07:12
0:00:00
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Trial 4
Trial 5
Trials
Data Chart 3
24:00:00
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Trial 4
Trial 5
2:24:00
Time Elapsed
0:57:03
0:34:50
0:59:02
0:43:43
0:37:13
Uncoated Aspirin
Coated Aspirin
0:14:24
0:01:26
0:00:25
0:00:25
0:00:27
0:00:09
Trials
0:00:30
0:00:23
Analytical Approach
Conclusion
Based on my data, I accept my hypothesis that uncoated aspirin
would dissolve faster than coated aspirin. The uncoated aspirin took
thirty seconds at most to dissolve, where the coated aspirin took almost
and hour at times.
Errors
In the course of conducting the experiment, we found out that the
coated aspirin had expanders in them causing them to take longer to
dissolve. The coated aspirin also had two coatings and one stayed the
same shape even without anything in it, making it very hard to tell when
all of the medication was actually dissolved.
Applications
Any average person could use my data to see which would help
dissolve faster to help their pain faster. Pharmacists and doctors could
also use my data to know which type of aspirin would be better to
recommend for customers who want the faster acting of the two.
Improvements
One of the improvements that would help the experiment would be
to test different brands of coated pills against each other and to do the
same for the uncoated. I would do this because most OTC coated pills
have expanders in them, causing them to dissolve later.
Bibliography
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sary_def
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Definition of pill." Online Dictionary, Language Guide, Foreign Language
and
Etymology. 28 Sep. 2008 <http://www.allwords.com/word-
pill.html>.
"dissolution: West's Encyclopedia of American Law (Full Article) from
Answers.com."
Answers.com - Online Dictionary, Encyclopedia
and much more. 28 Sep. 2008 <http://www.answers.com/topic
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28 Sep. 2008
<http://www.en.yoteca.com/pg/glossary-of-
medicines.asp>.
"Hydrochloric acid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia. 28 Sep. 2008
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrochloric_acid>.
"Rate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia. 28 Sep.
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<http://www.ilpi.com/msds/ref/solvent.html>.