preview

Alka Seltzer Dissolving at Different Temperatures Essay

Better Essays

Alka Seltzer Dissolving at Different Temperatures

The variable that I will change will be the temperature of the water that the Alka Seltzer is put in.

For my results I will measure the time taken for the Alka seltzer tablet to completely dissolve in water at different temperatures.

Input variables:

* Varying surface area of Alka-Seltzer tablet, i.e. if cut into smaller pieces or crushed it will increase the surface area. (If the surface area is increased (more powdered) the rate of reaction also increases. This means that there are more collisions between the solid and liquid.)

* Amount of tap water H2O used, i.e. volume (ml).

* Amount of Alka-Seltzer tablets used, i.e. quantity of tablets.
(one is used)

* …show more content…

* As pH decreases, acidity in solution is high. This makes H+ ions in solution readily available for HCO3- ions in the tablets, hence making it fizz quickly forming carbon dioxide and water. So as pH decreases, the rate of reaction increases as well.

Preliminary Work:
-----------------

I did this preliminary work using the following apparatus. The results obtained are tabulated below:
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Apparatus:
----------

· 300ml beaker
· Tap water
· Alka-Seltzer Tablets
· Thermometer
· Bunsen Burner
· Tripod
· Heat mat
· Gauze
· Goggles

Method:
-------

· I set up the apparatus as shown in the diagram. I then placed a thermometer into the beaker which I already filled with 150ml of water. I then set the water to the required temperature by heating it
(although I did not have to do this for the first temperature which was 20°C, where I just kept the water as it was without heating it).
When the water reached the required temperature I placed an alka seltzer tablet into it, and as I did so I started the timer. When Alka seltzer tablet dissolved (just until the actual tablet was not visible anymore, even though there was still some white scum in the water) I stopped timing and wrote down

Get Access