CHEMISTRY INTERNAL ASSESMENT

1.0 Introduction:
I enjoy drinking milk, and I drink a protein shake that includes milk every day. Specifically, I
drink high calcium milk to complete my daily calcium goal. However, it had always been a
difficult task to choose the additive that I should add to the milk. Some of my favorite ones were
Bourn Vita, Complan, Horlicks and Pedia Sure. Recently I read a controversial news by ‘The
Indian Express’1 , about allegations put on Bourn Vita about having high sugar content, being
harmful to children. This made me feel more skeptical about the calcium content after adding the
additives. Therefore, I decided to utilize this opportunity for calculating the calcium content in
milk after adding different additives. The milk I will be using will be Amul milk, which is a
company I often buy milk from. Being a student of Business and Management, I also decided to
check which additive is the most cost effective by comparing its price and calcium content.
2.0 Background Information:
2.1 Calcium:
A vital mineral, calcium is involved in many physiological processes in the human body, such as
blood coagulation, bone formation, and nerve signal transmission. It is mostly stored in bones
and teeth. For muscles to contract and for nerves to transmit signals from the brain to every area
of the body, our body requires calcium2 . It is widely acknowledged that one of the main dietary
sources of calcium is dairy products3 , especially milk. Milk's high calcium content is essential
for preserving bone health and general wellbeing.
2.2 Additives:
The chosen additives (Pedia Sure, Complan, Horlicks, and Bourn Vita) are frequently advertised
for their ability to improve the total nutritional value of milk and are frequently eaten as
nutritional supplements by children.
Table 1:
Name Of Additive Calcium Mass Per 100 grams Price per gram (₹)
Written in the Packets
Nutritional Information (mg)
Bourn Vita 500 0.4
Complan 800 0.4
Pedia Sure 605 1.75
Horlicks 741 0.3

1 https://indianexpress.com/article/india/bournvita-sugar-content-row-ncpcr-health-drink-brand-remove-ads-
8577442/
2 https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-

Consumer/#:~:text=Calcium%20is%20the%20most%20abundant,every%20part%20of%20your%20body .
3 https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(87)80305-

3/pdf#:~:text=Dairy%20foods%20are%20by%20far,180%20mg%20(Table%201).
2.3 Complexometric Titration and EDTA:
We use complexometric titration to find out the amount of metal ions in a solution. We form a
complex compound to determine the same. Many complex solutions can be used to titrate,
however EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) is used most often 4 . It is a polydentate ligand
which creates a complex with a metal ion. It can donate six pairs of electrons to other species.
These types of bonds are coordinate covalent bonds. The structure of EDTA can be seen in the
figure below.

5 When EDTA 4- reacts with

calcium, it gives the following equation: Ca2+ + EDTA 4- -->
CaEDTA 2-
CaEDTA 2- + EBT --> CaEDTA 2− ⋅ EBT

2.4 EBT Indicator:

The color is changed from Wine red to blue. The indicator used here is EBT indicator
(Eriochrome black t) which has the formula C 20 H12 N3 NaO 7 S. It undergoes color change in
presence of certain metal ions; hence it is used to see the endpoint of complexometric titrations.
The structure of EBT is shown in the figure below. 6

3.0 Research Question: How do different additives (Bourn Vita, Pedia Sure, Horlicks and
Complan) affect the amount of calcium in milk, using complexometric titration?

4.0 Variables:
Table 2: Independent Variable
Independent Variable Names Reason For Choosing
Additives Bourn Vita, Pedia Sure, These additives are the most
Horlicks, Complan popular ones in India. It
would have been a better

4 https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/complexometric -titration
5 https://www.mtsu.edu/chemistry/chem2230/pdfs/Exp9A.pdf
6 https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Eriochrome -black-t#section=Household-Products
 comparison if the most
popular additives were
compared

Table 3: Dependent Variable

Dependent Variable
Volume of EDTA needed to titrate the
mixture of milk and additive
Method
A fixed volume of milk, additive, EBT
indicator, distilled water and ammonia buffer
will be titrated against EDTA. This is
complexometric titration, and the observation
to be made here is the volume of EDTA in the
burette when there is a color change in the
conical flask.

Table 4: Controlled Variables

Controlled Variable Method
Volume of milk (5 cm2 ) The milk was measured in a
10 cm3 measuring cylinder
and transferred to the conical
flask.
Volume of distilled water (50 It was measured in a 50 cm3
cm2 ) measuring cylinder and
transferred to the conical
flask.
Concentration of EDTA (0.01 3.74 grams of EDTA was
mol dm-3) added to 1 dm3 of distilled
water. The distilled water was
measured in a 1 dm3
measuring cylinder and
transferred to a 2 dm3 beaker.
Volume of EBT indicator (1 1 cm3 of EBT indicator was
cm3 ) measured using a graduated
pipette and was added to the
conical flask.
Mass of additive (0.25 grams) 0.25 grams of each additive
was measured on a weighing
scale.
Volume of ammonia buffer (2 2 cm3 buffer solution was
cm3 ) measured using a 10 cm3
Significance
The amount of calcium ions
will change if the milk
volume changes, hence this
may affect accuracy.
The total volume should be
constant, and the dilution of
the milk and additive should
be the same for all trials.
If the concentration
decreases, the color change
won't be precise, hence it is
important to maintain a
constant concentration
The intensity of color change
will be varied if the volume
of EBT changes.
Variation in mass could give
experimental errors. The
identical mass of the
additives ensures a direct and
fair comparison between
different additives.
Ammonia buffer is generally
used in complexometric
titrations for maintaining a
 measuring cylinder and added specific pH range. This pH
to the conical flask. range makes the reaction
between metal and EDTA
possible. Keeping the volume
constant ensures stability of
pH throughout the
complexometric titration.
Weighing scale and its The same weighing scale was Changing the weighing
location used, and its location was balance and the location
kept unchanged. could give slight differences
in readings which would give
errors in the results.

5.0 Materials:
1. Burette
2. Clamp stand
3. Pipette
4. Conical flask
5. 100 cm3 beaker
6. 50 cm3 beaker
7. 1 dm3 measuring cylinder
8. 2 dm3 beaker
9. 10 cm3 measuring cylinder
10. EDTA
11. Glass rod
12. Distilled water
13. Ammonia buffer
14. Additives
15. EBT indicator
16. Glossy paper
17. Milk
18. Weighing scale
6.0 Safety Precautions:
Table 5:
Materials Lab Safety Precautions
 EDTA solution Wear safety goggles and
gloves. Avoid direct skin
contact; wash hands
thoroughly.

Ammonia buffer Work in a well-ventilated

area. Wear gloves; avoid
inhalation and eye contact.

EBT indicator Handle with care; wear safety

goggles and gloves. Avoid
contact with skin and eyes.

Beaker Work carefully and ensure

the beaker doesn’t fall off and
break.

Conical flask Work carefully and ensure

the flask doesn’t fall off and
break.

Glass rod Work carefully and ensure

the rod doesn’t fall off and
break.

7https://www.brady.co.uk/signs/iso-safety-sign-ensure-continuous-ventilation-text-cps-4307843?part-
number=311871
7.0 Method:
1. Prepare a 0.01 mol dm-3 EDTA solution in a 2 dm3 beaker by weighing 3.74 grams of
EDTA and dissolve it in 1 dm3 of distilled water measured by the 1 dm3 measuring
cylinder.
2. Add it to the burette and note the initial reading.
3. Moving on, prepare the stock solution which includes 5 cm3 of milk and 0.25 grams of
additive and then add it to the conical flask.
4. Measure 2 cm3 of ammonia buffer using the 10 ml measuring cylinder and add it to the
flask.
5. Measure 1 cm3 of EBT indicator using a pipette and add it to the flask.
6. Start titrating the solution in the flask against the EDTA solution and note the final
reading when the color of the solution changes from cherry pink to blue.
7. Repeat steps 1 to 6, 5 times, for each additive and note down the results.

8.0 Preliminary Test:

Initially, I attempted to dissolve the additives (Bourn Vita, Pedia Sure, Horlicks, and Complan)
in water according to the original procedure, however I observed that the dissolution process was
slow, hindering the timely progression of the experiment. To expedite the dissolution, a decision
was made to introduce a small amount of milk to each add itive individually. I wanted to
determine the baseline calcium content in milk. I carried out a complexometric titration solely
for the milk sample without any additives. The objective was to assess the change in calcium
content introduced by each additive, utilizing the previously determined calcium content of plain
milk as a reference.
Table 6:
Initial burette reading Final burette reading Change in EDTA Average change in
3
(cm ) 3
(cm ) 3
volume (cm ) EDTA volume (cm3 )
0 18.4 18.4
19.3 40.1 20.8 20.08
0 20.2 20.2
20.3 40.6 20.3
0 20.7 20.7
(Volume of EDTA) x (Concentration of EDTA) x (40.08 grams mol-1 of calcium) x (1000mg per
gram) = Mass of calcium in mg in 5ml milk = 8.19 mg
9.0 Data:
9.1 Raw Data
Table 7: Complan
Initial burette reading Final burette reading Change in EDTA Average change in
(cm3 ) (cm3 ) volume (cm3 ) EDTA volume (cm3 )
 0 26.5 26.5
0 26.9 26.9 26.46
0 25.8 25.8
0 26.0 26.0
0 27.2 27.1

Table 8: Bourn Vita

Initial burette reading Final burette reading Change in EDTA Average change in
(cm3 ) (cm3 ) volume (cm3 ) EDTA volume (cm3 )
0 24.4 24.4
0 23.6 23.6 23.88
20.9 44.6 23.7
0 24.4 24.4
21.2 43.1 23.3

Table 9: Horlicks
Initial burette reading Final burette reading Change in EDTA Average change in
(cm3 ) (cm3 ) volume (cm3 ) EDTA volume (cm3 )
0 24.6 24.6
22.0 47.9 25.9 25.42
0 25.0 25.0
22.7 48.7 26.1
0 25.2 25.5

Table 10: Pedia Sure

Initial burette reading Final burette reading Change in EDTA Average change in
(cm3 ) (cm3 ) volume (cm3 ) EDTA volume (cm3 )
0 25.8 25.8
0 24.1 24.1 24.7
24.2 48.1 23.9
0 24.6 24.6
0 25.1 25.1

9.1 Processed Data

Additive Calculated calcium Calcium content in Claimed calcium
content with milk additive without the content written on the
(mg) milk (mg per 100 packet (mg per 100
grams) grams)
Complan 10.61 968 800
Bourn vita 9.57 552 500
Horlicks 10.18 799 741
Pedia sure 9.90 684 605