Upset Stomach?

Have you ever wondered, why we have an upset stomach after having spicy food?

Or

How antacids relieve us from heartburn, indigestion, or an upset stomach?

Here is an easy experiment to find answers to these questions and have a closer look into the chemical reactions taking place inside our stomach during the process.

• 2 beakers half-filled with water
• 1 round-bottom flask
• 3 petri dish
• Antacid(Powdered form)
• Spicy sause
• ph papes
• ph sca chart
• Molding clay and watercolor
• Hydrochloric acid(50ml)

• Mold a human digestive system(up to the stomach) with clay. Color and label it properly.
• Pour about 50 ml of Hydrochloric acid(HCL) into a round-bottom flask. Place it so that the neck of the flask resembles a part of the esophagus or food pipe and its rounded bottom resembles a part of the stomach.
• Pour some HCL from the stomach(round bottom flask) into a clean petri dish.
• Dip a ph paper into the solution in the petri dish. Note down the color and the corresponding value from the ph scale.

• Mix some spicy sauce and water in a beaker to prepare a spicy solution.
• Pour some spicy solution from the beaker into the stomach(flask). Mix it well.
• Now, pour some solution from the stomach into a clean petri dish.
• Dip a ph paper into the solution in the petri dish. Note down the color and the corresponding value from the ph scale chart.

• Mix one teaspoon of antacid and water in a beaker.
• Pour this solution into the stomach(flask). Mix it well.
• Now, pour some solution from the stomach into a clean petri dish.
• Dip a ph paper into the solution in the petri dish. Note down the color and the corresponding value from the ph scale.

Comparing the ph papers, we observe that the content of our stomach is normally acidic. Our stomach normally produces acid to help with the digestion of food and to kill germs (bacteria). This acidity increases even more when we have excessive spicy food or when there is excess secretion of acids in the gastric glands of the stomach.

Antacids work by counteracting (neutralizing) the acid in our stomach. They do this because the chemicals in antacids are bases (alkalis) which are the opposite of acids. A reaction between an acid and base is called a neutralization reaction. This neutralization makes the stomach contents less acidic and thus helps to relieve the burning sensation of acid reflux.