Calcium Supplement

Sanat Malhotra
November 5th, 2014
CHEM 1611-116
Lab partners: Hanna Dickerson, Mark Restrepo, Benjamin Ghaemmaghami
Abstract
Calcium is required in our everyday diet to maintain a multitude of
bodily functions and keep us healthy, which is why the consequences
of the lack of calcium may be severe. Supplements can be taken in
different forms such as ingested in solid form, or in liquid form.
Calcium carbonate, one of the most common substances that naturally
contain calcium, is often chalky and difficult to swallow when ingested
in its solid form. This cannot be prevented, as calcium carbonate does
not dissolve in water.
This experiment was designed to fix this problem, targeted towards
the elderly, who may have trouble swallowing solid supplements,
which can make them more prone to ailments that have to do with
lack of calcium, such as osteoporosis. Osteoporosis occurs when
bones are weak, and brittle, which is why the elderly are more prone
to contracting it. The supplement needs to go down easily, and
effectively to accommodate the weakened system of elderly people.
By carefully crafting this experiment, calcium carbonate can be
reacted with multiple substances that allows calcium to be soluble,
resulting in a solution that can be easily ingested, while providing the
same amount of calcium (RDA standard), and with minimal toxins.
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Introduction
Calcium is required in our body to maintain the strength of bones and
teeth, hence supporting the skeletal structure and function.1
Deficiency of calcium, either by diet or genetics can cause multiple
ailments such as osteoporosis, a disease in which bones become
fragile and weak. This can lead to a higher chance of fracturing
bones, and more recovery time. Genetics, age, smoking, and other
factors affect the likelihood of contracting osteoporosis. The
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) ranges from 700 mg to 1300
mg for calcium from ages 10 71+ years.2 This is something we have
to take into account when performing the experiment and creating the
supplement, as the amount ingested should be little enough that its
realistic to ingest everyday, but also contain the right amount of
calcium needed for the respective age group it is intended for.
The form of calcium the experiment uses is calcium carbonate, a
cheap source of calcium, but hard to ingest as it is insoluble and has
an unappealing texture. By reacting this solid with an acid, the
calcium ions can be separated as the hydrogen ions bond to the
carbonate ions, creating carbonic acid, leaving the calcium ions still in
1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Bone Health and
Osteoporosis: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General,
2004. www.surgeongeneral.gov/library
2 Committee to Review Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin D and
Calcium, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference
Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D. Washington, DC: National Academy
Press, 2010.

the water. The lower the pH, the higher the solubility of the calcium,
however, the pH has to be in an acceptable range for it to be safe for
consumption. This process to safety will require titrating the newly
made solution with sodium hydroxide, a strong base, increasing the
pH to the safe level. If the pH is too high or too low after titration, it
can be adjusted using more acid or base, as needed.
An EBT indicator along with an EDTA solution containing magnesium
is introduced in the titration, which will indicate when the pH is in the
safe range, which translates to the buffered solution (pH 10). This will
ultimately help find the concentration of calcium in the solution,
hence making it easier to find the optimal dosage and amount needed
per day.
Experimental
For the experiment 3.00 grams of calcium carbonate was taken with
100 mL of deionized water. The calcium carbonate does not dissolve
so it is simply placed in the water. 6 mL of 1.00 M HCl was added next
to the solution and stirred to ensure maximum surface area for the
reaction. Another 3 mL of 1.00 M NaOH was added, to raise the pH of
the acidic solution. If the pH is out of the safe range (4 -10), it is
further titrated to the right level. If the solution is acidic, NaOH is
added through a burette into the solution to neutralize it, raising the
pH. If the solution is basic, HCl is added through the same process,
being carefully measured, until it is neutralized to the safe pH. The
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pH is tested with the indicator and EDTA. The EBT3 (Eriochrome

Black T) indicator will not work unless the pH is in the specified
range, while the EDTA is used to measure the concentration of
calcium ions in the solution. This can later be used to calculate the
amount needed for the correct dosage as prescribed by the RDA.
Results and Discussion
Evaluation plays an integral role in scientific experiments. Accuracy
may be lost due to the random and systematic error. If analog, make
sure you are reading the right scale, and calculating with appropriate
units with double-checks. Chemically, in order to make calcium
carbonate soluble, the following equation was used:
CaCO3(s) + 2 HCl(aq)

H2O(l) + CO2(g) + CaCl2(aq)

followed by a reaction with NaOH

2 NaOH (aq) + CaCl2(aq )

2 NaCl(aq) + Ca(OH)2(aq)

Calculations:

3 D. Spurlock. (1999-2014) Determination of Water Hardness By

Complexometric Titration Class Notes. Retrieved from
http://homepages.ius.edu/DSPURLOC/c121/week13.htm [Accessed
12/01/2014]

First, the calculations concluded the amount of moles of calcium ions

is in the solution. These calculations also show that 0.162 L of this
solution is necessary to consume per day to receive the correct
amount of calcium in your diet. This is only 162 mL which is practical
and reasonable enough to be included in an everyday diet. When
tested, the pH strip showed a pH of 8, which is in the acceptable
range, however being a little off neutral, on the basic side. An
improvement can be making sure the pH is completely neutral, which
would allow more solubility of the calcium, as well as a safer pH to
drink. Safety is ensured by using eye goggles when handling the
corrosive chemicals such as NaOH and HCl. Some limitations of our
experiment include materials and time given, as the calcium couldve
been sourced from something that is more soluble. An error that
occurred during the performance of the experiment was that too
much Na OH was added and this inhibited the calcium hydroxide from
dissolving in the solution. Titration measurements couldve been done
more accurately to verify results, and calculations could have been
repeated to double check claims. By measuring the initial volume of
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the chemical added from the burette and subtracting that from the
final, we can obtain the volume required to neutralize the solution.
Then by using stoichiometric ratios, we calculate the equation,
concentration, and other necessary measurements for the experiment.
The final solution is minimally toxic, as shown by the pH of 8, which is
highly neutral. This was done by neutralizing the solution with the
acid/base needed. The change in pH is caused by added hydrogen ions
or hydroxide ions to the solution. When the concentration of hydrogen
ions is high, the pH is highly acidic, and when hydroxide is added, it
reacts with the present hydrogen ions to form water, diluting the
solution, and decreasing the concentration of hydrogen ions.
The resulting solution checked off all the criteria of the optimal
solution, being clear, falling within the RDA and safe pH level. With a
high dosage, harm can be inflicted on your body, therefore the
recommended dosage is what is required in the resulting solution.
Percentage yield can be analyzed and optimized by using minimizing
errors that may be caused in non-controlled environments.
Conclusion
Calcium supplements are an effective way of getting the required
amount of calcium in your body. We successfully created a calcium
supplement that was clear, minimally toxic, that contained the RDA
for calcium, and had a pH of 8. The experiment can be furthered by
testing it on individuals to see how it reacts in the body, as well as
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modifying the taste of the solution, should there be an unappealing

taste. A simpler, more direct way of synthesizing a calcium
supplement can also be investigated, now that the foundation and
process behind it is known and tested.

On my honor, as a UVa student, I pledge that I have neither given nor received aid
on this assignment.
x__________________________