Abstract
Acetylsalicylic acid was prepared using salicylic acid and acetic anhydride. As a result, a white, powdery substance was formed (0.1931g, percent yield 91.30%) and was defined by melting point (124.5 – 134.5°C) and observation of color change with ferric chloride.
Introduction
Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) is one of the most popular analgesic drugs on the market today. It also acts as an antipyretic and anti-inflammatory drug. Salicylic acid itself was too acidic and irritating to the membranes of the mouth to be taken in its original form, so acetylsalicylic acid was synthesized by a Bayer chemist and sold under the name aspirin.
Procedure
See lab notebook.
Results and Discussion
Mass of Salicylic Acid
0.2113 g
Volume of Acetic Anhydride
0.480 mL
Mass of Acetylsalicylic Acid
0.1931 g
Melting Point of Product
124.5 – 134.5°C
% Yield
91.30%
Test Tube
Observations
Control
Very light yellow/clear solution
Salicylic Acid
Deep violet solution
Acetylsalicylic Acid
Very faint, lavender solution
Calculations
0.2113g x
0.1931g x
Percent Yield Equation:
Actual Percent Yield:
The experiment yielded a decent amount of acetylsalicylic acid. The initial melting point however was more than 10° lower than the literature melting point. This implies that the substance obtained includes an impurity. During the ferric chloride test, a very faint lavender solution resulted, also confirming that a slight impurity was present. Some of these impurities could be water (used to rinse the acetylsalicylic acid in the funnel), acetic anhydride, acetic acid or perhaps leftover salicylic acid that was not completely used during the reaction.
Suggested improvements include allowing the vacuum to run longer to absorb more of the water used in the filtration stage of the procedure. This would allow a more pure substance.
Conclusion
Acetylsalicylic acid was created successfully. The product had a 91.30% actual percent yield (0.1931 g) and the melting point range was 124.5 – 134.5°C which indicates that some impurity was present. Additionally, by using ferric chloride to test purity, the color results (very faint lavender), confirmed that a slight impurity was present.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Also added was 0.45mL water and 0.165mL acetic anhydride and a magnetic spin vane. An air condenser was attached to the vial and it was heated on an aluminum block, with a temperature maintained at 120C. After the solution dissolved, it was heated an extra 20 minutes to allow the reaction to go to completion then cooled back to room temperature. An ice bath was used to encourage crystal growth. The crystals were removed and centrifuged, then placed on a pre-weighed watch glass to dry and weigh. Percent recovery was found. A small sample was set aside for melting…
- 860 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Aspirin reacted with Sodium Bicarbonate to form salt, sodium acetylsalicylate. The reaction caused fizzing and gas. When hydrochloric acid was added to sodium acetylsalicylate the solution bubbled, sizzled, and gave off heat. All precipitates were white.…
- 360 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
The solution then gets foggy/cloudy and white snowlike precipitate is floating within the solution. Heat is added along with a stir bar. The stir bar starts stirring at minute 7. It begins to dissolve the white powder as it spins. At minute 26 the solution becomes clear with barely any flakes left. Sulfuric acid is then added and white flakes are formed. More acid is added until the pH paper turns red. The round bottom is filled with white precipitate. The precipitate is put onto a hirsh funnel that uses vacuum filtration to isolate the precipitate. The product is then added to a beaker with D.I water and heated. It’s put through the hirsh funnel . 3.68 grams of salicylic acid is recovered. The melting point is tested to compare to a perfect sample. The melting point is 146C0. The product is dried and added to a beaker with D.I. water and 10mL of acetic anhydride and 20 drops of concentrated sulfuric acid. This product is chilled to produce crystals. Its then filtered using a hirsh filter using vacuum filtration. Recrystallized and filtered one last time. The product is now acetylsalicylic acid…
- 516 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Small samples of acetaminophen, acetylsalicylic acid, cellulose, starch, and caffeine were obtained. These samples were then placed into seperate sets of test tubes that contained water, acetone, or dichloroethane. Solubilities were then tested for each sample in each solution which can be seen in Table 5. Next, four random pills were obtained and weights were taken of each. Each of the pills were grinded up using a separate mortar and pestle.…
- 473 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
The OH group on the benzene ring in salicyclic acid reacts with acetic anhydride to form an ester functional group. Thus the formation of acetylsalicyclic acid (aspirin) is referred to as an esterification reaction, which requires the presence of H+ (H2SO4 in our case). The technique used to purify the aspirin content is called crystallization, which consists in allowing the reaction to cool, decreasing the solubility of acetylsalicyclic acid and allowing it to crystalize. To purify the product even more a recrystallization procedure will be performed. Since salicyclic acid is considered a phenol, a Ferric Chloride test (shows the presence of phenols by changing color from orange to different concentrations of purple, the darker it is the more concentration of phenol is present.) will be performed at the beginning of the experiment and also after each crystallization in order to demonstrate the presence of phenols in the results and thus the purity of the product. A melting point range will also be performed in order to verify the purity of the product.…
- 292 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
In You Are a Contract Painkiller (1997, p. 111), author Maureen Littlejohn makes extensive use of personification to describe the functioning of Aspirin in our body, its various properties to fight pain, and its evolution over the years. Littlejohn describes how Aspirin claimed celebrity status as one of the world’s most popular, inexpensive painkillers by relieving headaches, sprains, blows, burns, swelling and fever. Furthermore, she added that Aspirin could also be used to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack. The author supports the main idea by describing how the aspirin when taken with a modest stream of water or ginger ale, passed to the stomach through the esophagus and undergoes a series of chain reactions to disable the enzyme that converts the acid in cell membranes into prostaglandins (responsible for the pain). In a similar fashion it also helps bring fever down. Moreover, the author gives a brief history about the evolution of the modern day Aspirin from almost a thousand years ago when Hippocrates first discovered the property of willow leaves to help relieve pain. The author concludes the essay by highlighting the useful properties of Aspirin and the various ailments it provides relief from.…
- 598 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
From the data collected and the results calculated, I can conclude the percent yield of naphthalene and salicylic acid. (SAL is handwritten in the data tables above). The five melting points for the mixture, crude and pure naphthalene and salicylic acid are also provided above. The final mass of naphthalene was 0.0520g and the theoretical value was 0.174g. I found these values by…
- 493 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Pharmacology is the study of how the natural and synthetic chemical agents affect biological systems (Antonio, 2008). Both the Aspirin and Acetaminophen, a suitable alternative to Aspirin, are used to reduce substances in the body that cause pain, fever and inflammation (acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine, 2011). However, Acetaminophen could be used as alternative drug for patients allergic to aspirin (acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine, 2011). Through an analysis and evaluation of the comparison between aspirin and Acetaminophen, it was conclusive that the Acetaminophen is more effective than aspirin. Firstly, Acetaminophen is fixing the damage that initially triggers the pain, but Aspirin does not. Secondly, it works as a selective COX-2 inhibitor to make it does not restrain the pain and it is much safer for children. Finally, it has fewer side effects than Aspirin, such as stomach irritation.…
- 3373 Words
- 14 Pages
Best Essays -
Acetaminophen and aspirin are both well-known drugs that relieve pain and reduce fever. This report looks at acetaminophen as a potential substitute for a patient who is allergic to aspirin. Acetaminophen, a common analgesic drug that can be bought over the counter, was synthesised by Hormon Northrop Morse. With acetaminophen consisting of a benzene ring, an amide and an alcohol group, it has the ability to stop pain and reduce fevers. However, due to the state of technology, it is not clear as to how and what acetaminophen does to the body in order to have its antipyretic and analgesic effects. Many proposed that acetaminophen works by inhibiting the variant COX (cyclooxygenase) enzymes that are metabolized to produce prostaglandins, enzymes that cause the pain. It is assumed that aspirin works by the inhibition of COX at the site of inflammation whereas acetaminophen operates on the central nervous system. Both aspirin and acetaminophen are metabolised in the liver and distributed throughout the body by the blood and other body fluids respectively. Extreme caution is advised upon the dosage of both drugs, as overdoses may cause severe liver failure which could lead to fatalities. Although acetaminophen does not possess anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet effects like aspirin does, it does however, exert less pressure on the stomach and intestines, furthermore having far less adverse effects than aspirin. Acetaminophen is also safe for pregnant woman and children to use. With such a drug, acetaminophen is the most preferable drug to use when it comes to combating headaches and fever.…
- 8848 Words
- 29 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Aspirin is known as a pain reliever for muscle ache, head ache and can prevent heart attacks as well as blood clots, and many more things that it can help with. Aspirin is known as Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) is a Salicylate. Salicylates are organic acids from plants that people for hundreds of years have been used for pain reducing. Salicylic acid irritates the stomach when consumed so German scientist Felix Hoffman suggested ASA as an alternative. Aspirin is made when Acetic Anhydride reacting with Salicylic acid to produce Acetylsalicylic acid and Acetic acid (diluted vinegar). Aspirin is in millions of home today and in America, about 50 million tablets are consumed every day. When aspirin ages it breaks down and returns to the main chemicals that made the reaction.…
- 648 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
~Aspirin is used to treat pain due to inflammation. It also used to treat several conditions such as…
- 327 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Aspirin is used to treat pain for inflammation and work by blocking production of pain enhancing neurotransmitters, such as prostaglandins. Acetaminophen is also effective against pain. Aspirin acts locally at the site of the pain to stop it from producing pain signals. Aspirin can be good or bad by helping to prevent heart attacks.…
- 479 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), or more commonly known as aspirin, is a medication that can be used for pain, fevers, and inflammation. It can be used for long periods of time, in small amounts, to prevent heart attacks, strokes and the formation of blood clots. A heart attack victim can be given a low dose right after the ordeal to reduce the risk of another one. Side effects of this drug is ulcers, internal bleeding (stomach) and ringing in the ears. These mainly happen with higher doses of aspirin.…
- 506 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The educational goals of this lab are to find the structural formulas for salicylic acid, acetic anhydride, and aspirin and to use these structural formulas to construct a reaction equation by describing the synthesis of aspirin. In addition, you have to be able to use your percent purity calculations to determine the percent yield of your synthesis of aspirin.…
- 1996 Words
- 8 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Explain why it is necessary to warm the reaction mixture of aspirin and sodium hydroxide solution.…
- 407 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays