• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

Antacids (1 Viewer)

hcl

New Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2004
Messages
2
Why isnt sodium hydroxide NaOH used as an antacid?
 

Frigid

LLB (Hons)
Joined
Nov 17, 2002
Messages
6,208
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
:confused: as far as i know, NaOH is used as an ingredient inside antacids...
 

wogboy

Terminator
Joined
Sep 2, 2002
Messages
653
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2002
They usually put weaker bases such as:

- Na2CO3 (sodium carbonate);
- CaCO3 (calcium carbonate);
- sometimes Mg(OH)2 (magnesium hydroxide, sometimes called "milk of magnesia")

Note the important difference between "strong/weak" base and "concentrated/dilute" basic solution, they have a very different meaning.
 
Last edited:

+:: $i[Q]u3 ::+

Jaded Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2003
Messages
898
Gender
Female
HSC
2003
its' jus too strong, u'll end up with a hole in urself.
also, there's the risk you''ll end up with too much base in you creating an alkalinity problem. sodium carbonate is amphiprotic so it can act as both an acid and a base.. so it buffers out the strong acid and any excess base.
 

jims

Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2003
Messages
127
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2003
bit late, but NaOH is water soluble so it will dissolve ur mouth n food pipe before it gets to ur stomach. Al(OH)3 n others r insoluble in water so do not react until it hits the acid.
 

mitochondria

*Rawr*!
Joined
Mar 23, 2003
Messages
444
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2003
Umm.. as far as I know antacid does not only refer to stomach remedy (??) Anyways, Hydroxides and Carbonates are often used in antacids, and a buffer is usually added in the production of antacid to neutralis any excess base/acid. And.. NaOh is used in antacid (yup frigid!), and it wouldn't hurt you if you have a mild concentration of it! It's not like you are taking NaOH tablets or something.. there are other ingredients...
 

iambored

dum-di-dum
Joined
Apr 27, 2003
Messages
10,862
Location
here
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2003
NaOH is a strong base right?
if your'e in a chemist - andrews antacids, are calcium carbonate! and they aren't that strong
 

Ragerunner

Your friendly HSC guide
Joined
Apr 12, 2003
Messages
5,472
Location
UNSW
Gender
Male
HSC
2003
MYLANTA - Each tablet contains Magnesium Hydroxide, Aluminium Hydroxide-DRIED, Simethicone...

they all sound pretty poisonous to me though :D
 

mitochondria

*Rawr*!
Joined
Mar 23, 2003
Messages
444
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2003
Originally posted by Ragerunner
MYLANTA - Each tablet contains Magnesium Hydroxide, Aluminium Hydroxide-DRIED, Simethicone...

they all sound pretty poisonous to me though :D
DEAD MAN WALKING! *ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!*
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top