Determination of Acetylsalicylic Acid (ASA) in Aspirin: A General Chemistry Experiment

TCE

The Chemical Educator

ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)

Table of Contents

Abstract Volume 10 Issue 5 (2005) pp 444-446
DOI 10.1333/s00897050975a

Determination of Acetylsalicylic Acid (ASA) in Aspirin: A General Chemistry Experiment

Katia B. Gusmão, Emilse M. A. Martini, and Suzana T. Amaral*

Chemistry Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, CP: 15003, CEP: 91501-970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, stamaral@iq.ufrgs.br
Received March 14, 2005. Accepted October 27, 2005.

Published online: 16 Novenber 2005

Abstract. A simple and inexpensive experiment with aspirin intended for use in an introductory experimental chemistry course is proposed. The experiment applies several fundamental laboratory techniques and was tested on a group of 350 general chemistry students of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The results show that the experiment can be successfully used with freshmen chemistry students.

Key Words: Laboratories and Demonstrations; general chemistry; laboratory

(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: stamaral@iq.ufrgs.br)

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