Which Antacid Can Neutralize the Most Stomach Acid?
While elementary and middle school aged students won't likely suffer from indigestion, they're sure to know an adult or two who does! This great science fair project, created and performed by sixth grade Selah elementary school student, Nicole, offers a look at which over-the-counter antacid works best to neutralize stomach acid.
Nicole decided to test Pepcid AC, Tums, Maalox, and Tagamet - dissolving samples of each product in water and recording the pH level of each sample, then adding 'stomach acid' {Hydrochloric acid} one drop at a time and retesting the solution's pH. She continued adding acid to the samples, recording the number of drops, until each sample was neutralized (pH 7.0). [NOTE: This experiment uses strong acid that can be harmful to skin/if ingested, etc. so be sure to use caution - proper equipment for handling the acid and parental supervision is advised!]
This project was completed in 1999, so check at your local drugstore, there are sure to be other antacids you could include in y0ur project! For full project details - lists of supplies, step-by-step procedure, a sample research report, etc. - be sure to visit Nicole's project page at Selah Elementary.
Note: The school website where this project was featured has removed the information so we are not able to link to it anymore.
