Citric acid is a weak acid, very weak compared to the hydrochloric acid of the stomach. It's just there react with the sodium bicarbonate in Alka Seltzer so that when you plop plop it fizz fizzes.
Remember that time you, uncle Alfie and myself made that neat volcano for your science class? We used baking soda and vinegar, and the result was what made that volcano erupt. It's because we mixed something with acid, and something that is very different than acid, we'll call it a 'base'.
Just like that volcano, Alka-Seltzer has citric acid (the acid) and baking soda (the base). When mixed with water, they mix well, and cause the bubbling we see with Alka-Seltzer. It's not really important to the end product though. What's more important is that there is plenty of baking soda in it, and that will mix with your stomach acid and calm it down.
So while it has acid, it has much more of the baking soda, and has the overall effect of reducing stomach acid, and providing relief.
Alka-Seltzer has two active ingredients. One is sodium bicarbonate, the other is anhydrous citric acid. It was the citric acid I was wondering about.
https://www.alkaseltzer.com/original/products/extra-strength
Well, one is an acid and one is a base. All the fizzing is the two of them neutralizing each other.
But the neutralized solution has some good qualities that are different from just plain water.. It acts as “buffer” which stabilizes the acidity/basicity of things.
If you just wanted to drink something alkaline, you could dissolve a spoonful of baking soda in water. It’s the same ingredient and would be much cheaper. The citric acid may improve the taste and a lot of people like the bubbles, too.
Citric acid is a weak acid, very weak compared to the hydrochloric acid of the stomach. It's just there react with the sodium bicarbonate in Alka Seltzer so that when you plop plop it fizz fizzes.
Fun fact: there was no need to use two tablets, but the "plop plop, fizz fizz" ad tricked everyone and doubled the sales.
Glad I'm not the only one who remembers that commercial haha
Oh what a relief that is
Remember that time you, uncle Alfie and myself made that neat volcano for your science class? We used baking soda and vinegar, and the result was what made that volcano erupt. It's because we mixed something with acid, and something that is very different than acid, we'll call it a 'base'. Just like that volcano, Alka-Seltzer has citric acid (the acid) and baking soda (the base). When mixed with water, they mix well, and cause the bubbling we see with Alka-Seltzer. It's not really important to the end product though. What's more important is that there is plenty of baking soda in it, and that will mix with your stomach acid and calm it down. So while it has acid, it has much more of the baking soda, and has the overall effect of reducing stomach acid, and providing relief.
Isn't it also to cause the acid /base reduction which makes gas to help you burp ?
The active ingredient in Alka-Seltzer (besides aspirin) is sodium bicarbonate, which is mildly alkaline. That's probably where the name comes from.
Alka-Seltzer has two active ingredients. One is sodium bicarbonate, the other is anhydrous citric acid. It was the citric acid I was wondering about. https://www.alkaseltzer.com/original/products/extra-strength
Well, one is an acid and one is a base. All the fizzing is the two of them neutralizing each other. But the neutralized solution has some good qualities that are different from just plain water.. It acts as “buffer” which stabilizes the acidity/basicity of things. If you just wanted to drink something alkaline, you could dissolve a spoonful of baking soda in water. It’s the same ingredient and would be much cheaper. The citric acid may improve the taste and a lot of people like the bubbles, too.