Resumen de Determining the Mass and Time of Release of Acetaminophen from Gel Capsules

K. Christopher Smith, Diana Cedillo

• A laboratory experiment is described in which students spectrophotometrically determine the mass of acetaminophen in a gel capsule as well as how quickly the acetaminophen is released from the gel capsule. The experiment involves converting acetaminophen into a colored complex through a series of reactions, generating a calibration curve, and making a series of measurements at specific time intervals. Students gain hands-on experience with the spectrophotometer and engage in graphical analysis of data while analyzing a common pharmaceutical compound.