Lab Letter Detailing Report on Analgesics

GCSE Science

CheMystery Labs, Inc

52 Fulton Street

Springfield, VA 22150

April 30, 2007

Zachary May

8/27/01

5th

Dear Marissa Bellinghausen,

We recently analyzed a sample of an unknown analgesic and found its identity. To start off, we were given a crushed tabled of an unknown analgesic in a vial. We then put 20mL of distilled water into a beaker. Next, we added the unknown analgesic to the water and dissolved. Next, we took the pH of it and recorded. We then added 1mL of NaOH to the solution, testing the pH afterwards. We continued this process until we had added 5mL of the NaOH. After all pH measurements had taken place, we rinsed the beaker of its contents.

Our analysis was to figure out what the unknown analgesic was. We had three different analgesic from which to choose. They were aspirin, buffered aspirin, and acetaminophen. Previous tests of the pH levels of each were taken in a previous experiment, and each one had a distinct pH change when sodium hydroxide was added. Our conclusion is that the unknown analgesic was certainly aspirin. In previous tests, the pH readings (before and after NaOH additions) stayed the same for aspirin, as it did in this experiment. For the other two analgesics, the pH measurements varied distinctly for each one.

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