Memorandum

Date: March 2013

From: KHS, Dept. of Product Honesty (pH)

To: KHS Freshman Science students

Subject: Heartburn, Antacids, and Truth-in-Advertising

/ Recently, an increased number of KHS students and faculty have been suffering from acid indigestion and heartburn. Many of these individuals may turn to an over-the-counter antacid to relieve their symptoms. (Antacids are products that are taken to neutralize stomach acid and reduce discomfort.)

In the Danielson area, two antacid products are on the market and each product claims to be the best at neutralizing stomach acid. Obviously, both products cannot be the best!

The KHS Dept. of Product Honesty (aka pH) requests that you design and conduct an experiment(s) to determine conclusively which antacid is really the most effective at neutralizing acid, and which company is making false claims for their product.

Steps 1-4: As a Team

Step 1: Plan the Experiment

  • With your team, write a Purpose Statement that
  • clearly describes the objective of the experiment
  • includes a brief description of how you will achieve the objective
  • Develop a Procedure that will allow you to determine the effectiveness of the two antacids.
  • You will be limited to only the materials provided; therefore you should develop a clear plan for your procedures before you begin.
  • Prepare a data table before you begin so you are prepared to record your data as you perform the experiment.
  • Safety Alert: You must have your plan approved by your teacher before beginning the experiment.

Materials

  • 10 mL “stomach acid”
  • 10 mL Antacid Product A (TumEEZE)
  • 10 mL Antacid Product B (I82MUCH)
  • 3 eye droppers
  • 25 pH paper indicator strips
  • Small plastic cups
  • Waxed paper
  • Toothpicks

Step 2: Perform the Experiment

  • Perform the experiment according to your approved procedure
  • Record data

Step 3: Analyze the Results

  • Review and discuss your data
  • Prepare any additional tables and/or graphs that help you and others visualize the data
  • If possible, draw a conclusion from your results
  • Based on your data, can you state which antacid is most effective?

Step 5: As an Individual

Step 5: Write a Lab Report

  • Each individual must write a lab report
  • All members of a team may use the same Materials, Procedure, and Results information
  • You must write your own Introduction and Conclusion
  • Refer to the Lab Report Standards of Excellence for what to include in your report