Bassani 1

Vianna Bassani

Mrs. Gephart

AP Chemistry

23 April 2018

Mass of Iron in a CareOne Iron Pill

Abstract

The mass of iron in a CareOne iron pill—lot number 6HN1825, expiration date

06/2019—was determined. A solution of Potassium Permanganate (KMnO4) was standardized

with a known amount of Ferrous Ammonium Sulfate (FAS) (Fe(NH4 )2(SO4)2∙6H2O). The

balanced net ionic equation (5Fe2++8H++MnO4-→5Fe3++Mn2++4H2O) was used for

stoichiometry to find the concentration of KMnO4. The average of three trials resulted in the

[KMnO4]= 0.00959M. The 0.00959M KMnO4 was titrated with a four samples of the iron pill.

Compared to the 65mg label produced by the company, the average mass of Fe was 66.1mg,

with a standard deviation of 7.3 and percent error of 7.36%. This value is within reason because

it fits within the FDA’s one-sided 95% interval prediction for a 65mg sample. (97)

Introduction

Titration is a method of chemical analysis that is used to determine the unknown

concentration or moles of a certain substance. A buret is used to deliver a certain amount of

solution to a substance in a flask. The initial volume is recorded, and then the solution in the

volumetric buret is titrated to the substance in the flask until the equivalence point is reached.

This is represented by a color change. The equivalence point occurs when equal amounts of

moles of electrons are transferred between the solution and substance. The final volume is then
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recorded and the initial volume is subtracted from the final volume to find the volume delivered

to the flask. Either the concentration of the solution in the buret or the mass of the substance in

the flask must be known. With this information, a solution can be standardized or moles of the

analyte can be found and then be converted to mass. In the oxidation-reduction reaction between

Fe(NH4 )2(SO4)2∙6H2O and KMnO4, the KMnO4 was used as the titrant. This allowed it to be

standardize and the actual concentration to be calculated. With this value, the mass of Fe2+ in the

CareOne iron pills was determined.

In this titration, a redox reaction occurred. Fe2+ was the reducing agent and MnO4- was

the oxidizing agent. Therefore, Fe2+ was oxidized and MnO4- was reduced. MnO4- took electrons

from Fe2+, oxidizing Fe2+ to Fe3+. Fe2+ supplied the electrons to MnO4-, reducing MnO4- to Mn2+

in an acidified solution. When in the form MnO4-, the solution has a dark purple color. This acts

as the indicator throughout the redox titration. When it is reduced, MnO4- turns from dark purple

to colorless in the form of Mn2+. As the permanganate solution flows into the iron solution,

MnO4- turns to Mn2+ and the analyte remains colorless. Once the color of the solution in the

Erlenmeyer flask retains a purplish tint, the equivalence point is reached.

The permanganate solution was used as the indicator, since it has a dark purple color, and

becomes colorless when reduced. The permanganate solution is delivered to the iron solution

until the equivalence point is reached. At the equivalence point of a redox titration, an equal

amount of moles of electrons are transferred between MnO4- and Fe2+. Stoichiometry can be used

to compare these values and figure out an unknown concentration. After the permanganate

solution was standardized, the concentration was known. The moles of Fe2+ in the Erlenmeyer

flask was unknown. Since the redox reaction is a balanced net ionic equation (5Fe2++8H++MnO4-

→5Fe3++Mn2++4H2O), there is a 5:1 ratio for Fe2+ and MnO4-, respectively. This ratio is used to
 Bassani 3

convert between moles of MnO4- delivered and moles of Fe2+ reacted, to find the mass of Fe2+ in

iron pills.

The purpose of this lab was to determine the mass of iron in a Care One Iron pill. The

data collected from the lab allowed for the comparison of experimentally determined values for

the mass of iron in a Care One iron pill to the printed mass of 65mg recorded on the label, from

FeSO4. Consumers use labels to monitor their intake of certain drugs and supplements, whether

they are prescribed drugs specially made by a pharmacist, or premade over the counter

supplements. The iron pills were analyzed for their accuracy as compared to the label on the

bottle.

It was hypothesized that the iron pill would contain 65 mg of iron, since the Federal Drug

Administration regulates the supplements to ensure there is accurate labeling. Labels are used to

determine the amount of certain substances that are being entered into the body, and people

depend on labels for medications and dietary restrictions. Also, pills are made to have a certain

amount of a specific substance so there is not an excess that could damage the body. For

example, iron is an essential part of red blood cells, as it carries oxygen throughout the body.

People who are iron deficient, or anemic, need iron to help absorb oxygen, since their body lacks

a sufficient amount to function. However, taking too much iron can be dangerous for the body.

WebMD reports that “excess iron can deposit in organs such as the liver, heart and pancreas,

which can lead to conditions like cirrhosis, heart failure, and diabetes” (WebMD). According to

Mecklenburg County Government in North Carolina, “The labeling of medications is regulated

by both State and Federal law” (Mecklenburg County Government). Although this is just one

local government in the United States, it alludes to federal regulations that are required for

medication labels. This not only includes the amount of substance in a certain pill, but also
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pharmaceutical guidelines for prescriptions. Dr. Margaret Hamburg, Commissioner of Food and

Drugs for the Food and Drug Administration had to write “Warning Letters to 17 manufacturers

informing the firms that the labeling for 22 of their food products violate provisions of the

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that require labels to be truthful and not misleading” (U.S

Food and Drug Administration). Therefore, labels must prove accurate to the contents in pills.

Materials and Methods

Part I: Standardization of 〜 0.01 M KMnO₄

The KMnO4 solution was standardized with a known amount of Ferrous Ammonium

Sulfate (Fe(NH4 )2(SO4)2∙6H2O) (FAS). A 50mL buret was filled with ~0.01 M KMnO4.

Standard operating procedure was used to wash the buret with soap, water, and titrant. Three

clean Erlenmeyer flasks were labeled “1, 2, and 3.” 0.5g of FAS was weighed out. The mass of

flask 1 was weighed (± 0.001g). The FAS was then added to the flask and weighed. The

difference in mass between the flask and flask with FAS was taken to find the exact mass of FAS

in the flask. 10 mL of distilled water and 5 mL of H2SO4 was added to the flask to dissolve the

FAS. This same process was repeated for flask 2 and 3.

As a reference, 50 mL of water was added to a beaker and 1 drop of the permanganate

solution was added. The color present was the color standard for the reaction. When the reaction

reached its equivalence point, the color would occur and remain for at least 5 seconds.

The initial volume of permanganate solution in the buret was recorded to ± 0.01mL.

Permanganate solution was added to the FAS solution in flask 1 until the equivalence point was

reached. The final volume of the solution in the buret was recorded. The exact volume of

permanganate solution used was found by subtracting the final volume from the initial volume.
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The same titration process was repeated using flask 2 and 3. The volume of KMnO4 delivered to

the FAS sample was used to find the molarity of the permanganate solution. The moles of FAS

were known from calculations from the grams of FAS originally in the flask. The moles of FAS

equal the moles of Fe2+and the moles of Fe2+are proportional to the moles of KMnO4, based on

the balanced chemical equation (5Fe2++8H++MnO4-→5Fe3++Mn2++4H2O). Using the moles of

KMnO4 and volume delivered, the concentration was found for each flask. The average

[KMnO4] was 0.00959 M KMnO4.

Part II: Analysis of CareOne Iron Pill

The analysis of the iron pill required the use of the standardized KMnO4 solution. The

average mass of 10 iron pills was found (± 0.001g). The lot number, brand and date of

manufacture was recorded for the bottle of iron pills. Two iron pills were used a the sample and

were grinded up in a mortar and pestle. 0.3g of power was weighed out. The mass of an

Erlenmeyer flask was recorded (± 0.001g). Half the iron pill powder was transferred to the flask

and massed. The difference in mass between the flask and the flask with the iron powder was

taken to find the exact mass of the iron pill in the flask. 25 mL of distilled water and 15 mL of

3.0M H2SO4 was added to the flask and swirled to dissolve the iron pill. The same process was

repeated for the second sample.

The initial volume of the permanganate solution in the buret was recorded to ± 0.01 mL.

The permanganate solution was added to the iron pill solution in flask 1 until the equivalence

point was reached. The final volume of the solution in the buret was recorded. The exact volume

of permanganate solution used was found by subtracting the final volume from the initial volume

(Calculation 9 on page 13). The same titration process was repeated using flask 2. The volume

and concentration of the permanganate solution were used to find the moles of MnO4-
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(Calculation 10 on page 13). Using the balanced net ionic equation, the moles of Fe2+ were found

(Calculation 11 on page 13). The moles of Fe2+ were converted to grams of Fe (Calculation 12

on page 13). The grams of Fe were divided by the mass of the sample originally in the

Erlenmeyer flask and converted to a percent (Calculation 13 on page 13). This percent was

multiplied by the average mass of one iron pill to find the grams of Fe2+ in one iron pill

(Calculation 14 on page 14). This was then converted to milligrams. The margins of error were

calculated based on the 65mg label on the bottle (Calculation 15 on page 14).

Results

In this lab, it was found that the average mass of Fe in a CareOne iron pill is 66.1mg.

There was a standard deviation of ± 7.3mg between the four trials performed. Compared to the

65mg label, this is a 7.36% error.

Tabel 1. Mass of Flasks and Ferrous Ammonium Sulfate (FAS)

Flask Mass of Flask (g) Mass of Flask & FAS Mass of FAS (g)
(g)

1 74.681 75.147 0.466

2 79.759 80.280 0.521

3 91.633 92.204 0.571

The mass of the flask and Ferrous Ammonium Sulfate (Fe(NH4 )2(SO4)2∙6H2O) (FAS)

had to be measured both separately and together to ensure that there would be accurate

measurements. The mass of the flask needed to be recorded while it was empty. Once the FAS

was added, the flask needed to be massed again to account for the FAS that was added. Mass by

difference was then used to determine the mass of FAS in the flask. The original mass of the
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flask was subtracted from the mass of the flask including the FAS to determine the exact amount

of FAS in the beaker (Calculation 1 on page 11). This mass of FAS would be reacted with the

permanganate (5Fe2++8H++MnO4-→5Fe3++Mn2++4H2O). Using this mass, the concentration of

the permanganate solution could then be calculated.

Table 2. Titration Volumes for Standardization

Flask Initial Volume (mL) Final Volume (mL) Volume Delivered

(mL)

1 0.00 25.19 25.19

2 0.00 27.15 27.15

3 0.00 30.50 30.50

The volume of permanganate solution delivered needed to be recorded to determine its

concentration. The initial volume was the point at which the solution began. The final volume

was the point where the equivalence point had been reached. The volume delivered was

calculated by subtracting the initial volume from the final volume (Calculation 2 on page 11).

Using the volume delivered and the moles of FAS reacted, the concentration of the

permanganate solution could be calculated and standardized.

Table 3. Finding Molar Concentration of KMnO4

Flask Moles of FAS Moles of MnO4- Concentration of KMnO4 (M)

1 0.00119 2.38x10-4 0.00943

2 0.00133 2.66x10-4 0.00979

3 0.00146 2.91x10-4 0.00955

Average 0.00959
 Bassani 8

The concentration of the KMnO4 solution was calculated through a series of conversions.

The mass of FAS in the flask was converted to moles (Calculation 3 on page 11). Using the

balanced net ionic equation (5Fe2++8H++MnO4-→5Fe3++Mn2++4H2O), the moles of MnO4- were

found with stoichiometry (Calculation 4 on page 12). The volume of permanganate solution

delivered to the flask and the moles of permanganate solution reacted were used to determine the

concentration of KMnO4 (Calculation 5 on page 12). The three concentrations were averaged

together to determine the standardized concentration of the permanganate solution (Calculation 6

on page 12). This standardized concentration would be used as a known value for the analysis of

the iron pill.

Table 4. Average Mass of 10 Pills

Mass of 10 Iron Pills (g) Average Mass of 1 Iron Pill (g)

3.835 0.3835

The mass of 10 iron pills was found as a standard for the average of one pill. The average

of one pill was found by dividing the mass of 10 pills by 10 (Calculation 7 on page 12). Instead

of just taking the mass of 1 pill, and average was found to get a more accurate reading. Each pill

can have a slightly different mass, so an average mass would be more representative of the true

value.

Table 5. Mass of Flasks and Iron Pill

Flask Mass of Flask (g) Mass of Flask & Fe Pill (g) Mass of Iron Pill (g)

1 74.756 75.105 0.349

2 94.529 94.955 0.426

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The mass of the flask and iron pill had to be measured both separately and together to

ensure that there would be accurate measurements. The mass of the flask needed to be recorded

while it was empty. Once the iron pill powder was added, the flask needed to be massed again to

account for the iron pill that was added. The mass of the iron powder was determined by mass by

difference. The original mass of the flask was subtracted from the mass of the flask including the

iron pill to determine the exact mass of the iron pill powder in the beaker (Calculation 8 on page

12). This mass of the iron pill would be reacted with the permanganate solution. Using this mass

and the volume of titrant delivered, the percent of Fe2+ in the iron pill could be determined.

Table 6. Titration Volumes for Iron Pill Analysis

Flask Initial Volume (mL) Final Volume (mL) Volume Delivered

(mL)

1 0.00 21.70 21.70

2 0.00 27.20 27.20

The volume of permanganate solution delivered needed to be recorded to determine the

moles of MnO4- that reacted. The initial volume was the point at which the solution began. The

final volume was the point where the equivalence point had been reached. The volume delivered

was calculated by subtracting the initial volume from the final volume (Calculation 9 on page

13). Using the volume delivered and concentration of the permanganate solution, the moles of

MnO4- could be found (Calculation 10 on page 13). The mass of Fe2+ could then be determined

and used to find the amount of Fe in an iron pill.

Table 7. Finding mass of Fe

Flask Moles of MnO4- Moles of Fe2+ Mass of Fe (g)

1 2.08x10-4 0.00104 0.0581

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2 2.61x10-4 0.00130 0.0728

The moles of MnO4- reacted could be used to find the mass of Fe in the iron pill. The

moles of MnO4- were converted to moles of Fe2+ using the balanced net ionic equation

(5Fe2++8H++MnO4-→5Fe3++Mn2++4H2O) (Calculation 11 on page 13). The mass of Fe2+ was

then found by multiplying the moles by the molar mass of Fe (moles of Fe2+ = moles of Fe)

(Calculation 12 on page 13). This mass of Fe was the amount of iron that was present in the

sample in the flask.

Table 8. Mass of Fe in Iron Pills

Brand Mass % Fe Mass Fe (mg) % error

CareOne Iron Pill 16.65% 63.9 1.77%

17.10% 65.6 0.88%

18.54% 76.2 11.27%

14.29% 58.8 9.54%

Average 66.1 7.36%

Standard Deviation ± 7.3

The mass percent of Fe in the sample was used to determine the mass of Fe in one iron

pill (Calculation 13 on page 13). This mass was converted to milligrams for purposes of

comparison with the label (Calculation 14 on page 14). It was found that the average mass of Fe

in a CareOne iron pill was 66.1mg. This compares very closely to the label, which claims that
 Bassani 11

there are 65mg of iron in an iron pill. The average percent error was 7.36% (Calculation 15 on

page 14) and standard deviation was ± 7.3mg.

Calculations

Calculation 1: Finding mass of Ferrous Ammonium Sulfate (FAS) in flask 1

Mass of flask with FAS - mass of flask = mass of FAS

75.147𝑔 − 74.681𝑔 = 0.466𝑔

Calculation 2: Finding volume of permanganate solution delivered to flask 1

Final volume - initial volume = volume delivered

25.19𝑔𝑔 − 0.00𝑔𝑔 = 25.19𝑔𝑔

Calculation 3: Finding moles of FAS

Mass of FAS in flask 1 / molar mass of FAS = moles of FAS

1 𝑔𝑔𝑔 𝑔𝑔𝑔
0.466𝑔 𝑔𝑔𝑔 × = 0.00119 𝑔𝑔𝑔 𝑔𝑔𝑔
392.16𝑔 𝑔𝑔𝑔

Calculation 4: Finding moles of MnO4- using balanced net ionic equation (5Fe2++8H++MnO4-

→5Fe3++Mn2++4H2O)

Moles of FAS x 1 mol Fe2+ / 1 mol FAS x 1 mol MnO4- / 5 mol Fe2+ = moles of MnO4-

1 𝑔𝑔𝑔 𝑔𝑔²𝑔 1 𝑔𝑔𝑔 𝑔𝑔𝑔₄ − −4 −

0.00119 𝑔𝑔𝑔 𝑔𝑔𝑔 × × = 2.66𝑔10 𝑔𝑔𝑔 𝑔𝑔𝑔₄
1 𝑔𝑔𝑔 𝑔𝑔𝑔 5 𝑔𝑔𝑔 𝑔𝑔²𝑔

Calculation 5: Finding the concentration of KMnO4

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Moles of MnO4- / liters of volume delivered = [KMnO4]

2.38𝑔10−4 𝑔𝑔𝑔 𝑔𝑔𝑔₄ −

= 0.00943 𝑔 𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔₄
0.02519 𝑔

Calculation 6: Finding the average of the concentrations from three flasks

(Molarity of flask 1 + molarity of flask 2 + molarity of flask 3) / 3 = Average molarity

0.00943𝑔 + 0.00979𝑔 + 0.00955𝑔

= 0.00959 𝑔 𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔₄
3

Calculation 7: Finding the average mass of one iron pill

Mass of 10 iron pills / 10 = mass of one iron pill

3.835𝑔
= 0.3835𝑔
10 𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔

Calculation 8: Finding mass of iron pill sample in flask 1

Mass of flask with iron pill sample - mass of flask = mass of iron pill sample

75.105𝑔 − 74.756𝑔 = 0.349𝑔

Calculation 9: Finding the volume of permanganate solution delivered to iron pill sample in flask

one

Final volume - initial volume = volume delivered

21.70𝑔𝑔 − 0.00𝑔𝑔 = 21.70𝑔𝑔

Calculation 10: Finding moles of MnO4-

Liters of volume delivered x 0.00959 mol / 1 Liter = moles of MnO4-

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0.00959 𝑔𝑔𝑔₄− −4
0.0217 𝑔 × = 2.08𝑔10 𝑔𝑔𝑔 MnO4-
1𝑔

Calculation 11: Finding moles of Fe2+ using balanced net ionic equation

Moles of MnO4- x 5 mol Fe2+ / 1 mol MnO4- = moles of Fe2+

5 𝑔𝑔𝑔 𝑔𝑔²+
2.08𝑔10 −4
𝑔𝑔𝑔 𝑔𝑔𝑔₄ × −
= 0.00104 𝑔𝑔𝑔 𝑔𝑔2+
1 𝑔𝑔𝑔 𝑔𝑔𝑔₄ −

Calculation 12: Finding grams of Fe2+

Moles of Fe2+ x molar mass of Fe / 1 mol = grams of Fe

55.85𝑔 𝑔𝑔
0.00104 𝑔𝑔𝑔 𝑔𝑔²+ × = 0.0581𝑔 𝑔𝑔
1 𝑔𝑔𝑔

Calculation 13: Finding percent mass of iron in sample

Mass of Fe / mass of sample x 100 = mass percent

0.0581𝑔 𝑔𝑔
× 100 = 16.65%
0.349𝑔 𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔

Calculation 14: Finding the mass of Fe in one iron pill

Percent mass x mass of one iron pill x 1000mg= mass of Fe in one pill

0.1665 × 0.3835𝑔 𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 × 1000𝑔𝑔 = 63.85𝑔𝑔 𝑔𝑔

Calculation 15: Finding percent error

(Mass on label - calculated mass of Fe) / mass on label x 100 = percent error
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65𝑔𝑔 − 63.85𝑔𝑔
× 100 = 1.77%
65𝑔𝑔

Discussion

An analysis of a CareOne iron pill supplement—lot number 6HN1825, expiration date

06/2019—was conducted, and the the iron pill was determined to contain 66.1mg ±7.3mg of Fe

found in FeSO4. This value deviates 1.1mg compared to label of 65mg. This value shows 7.36%

error compared to the stated label value of 65mg. The average percent error of 7.36% shows that

although there was difference in the mass of iron in the iron pill, variance is expected and

regulated by the FDA. These small values indicate that there was a lot of accuracy and similarity

between the experimentally determined mass and printed mass on the bottle. The actual value for

the mass of iron in the iron pill most likely deviates a very small amount from 65mg posted on

the label.

When analyzing the iron pill, two trials were done, one with 0.349g and 0.426g of the

iron pill powder, as per Table 5 on page 9. As the titration process occurred, more permanganate

solution needed to be delivered to the 0.426g of iron pill powder compared to the 0.349g to reach

the equivalence point. Table 6 on page 9 shows how 27.20mL of permanganate solution were

delivered to 0.426g, while only 21.70mL were delivered to 0.349g. According to Duke

Mathematics Department, “chemically equal... mean[s] that the number of molecules of [titrant]

added is just enough to completely react with all of the molecules of [analyte] originally present”

(Duke Mathematics Department). Therefore, it makes sense that more permanganate solution

would be required to react with more iron powder. Also, the mass of iron in the iron pill would

be recorded as more for the 0.426g sample because both trials were compared to the same

average mass of the iron pill, 0.3835, as per Table 4 on page 8. If there was a bigger iron pill
 Bassani 15

sample in the flask, the mass percent would be greater when compared to the same average pill

mass than a smaller sample’s percent mass. A bigger sample would seem to have more iron in it

than a smaller sample because it would be compared to the same average pill mass.

Over or under titration could account for the larger differences in mass of iron in the iron

pill. Two masses deviated quite larger than the other two data points. Table 8 on page 10 shows

that one trial found 18.54% mass, 76.2g of iron in the iron pill, and 11.27% error, while another

trial found 14.29% mass, 58.8g of iron in the iron pill, and 9.54% error. The larger mass of iron

in the iron pill would result from over titration, while the smaller mass of iron in the iron pill

would result from under titration. What could be considered the endpoint for one experiment

could differ for another. Chemistry LibreTexts explains how “the endpoint and equivalence point

are not necessarily equal, but they do represent the same idea. An endpoint is indicated by some

form of indicator at the end of a titration. An equivalence point is when the moles of [electrons

of] a standard solution (titrant) equal the moles of [electrons transferred in] a solution of

unknown concentration (analyte)” (Chemistry LibreTexts). With these ideas in mind, there is

bound to differences in calculated values because the endpoint of the titration does not always

equal the equivalence point. Therefore, sometimes there can be over titration and other times

under titration which lead to different results.

It is important to note that not every pill will have the exact same amount of iron or

match the label exactly. The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition under the U.S. Food

and Drug Administration states that “In order to ensure that label values will have a high

probability of being in compliance with nutrition labeling regulations and accurately represent

the nutrient content of food products, FDA recommends the calculation of a one-sided 95%

prediction interval as the most appropriate and the preferred method to use in computing label
 Bassani 16

values, because products bearing mean values on their nutrition labels do not have a high

probability of meeting FDA compliance requirements” (Center for Food Safety and Applied

Nutrition). Therefore, it is quite common for there to be deviations from the exact amount of iron

in the iron pill. A predicted 95% interval could have been used to compute the 65mg value that is

put on the label as per FDA regulations. Using this interval, the upper limit would be 66.63mg

and the lower limit would be 63.38mg. The average mass of iron in an iron pill, 66.1mg falls

within this deviation.

Iron is an essential part of a person’s diet. Naturally, iron is in meat, seafood, and grain.

People who have a diet rich in iron can get all the iron they need naturally without supplements.

However, people who are vegetarians, vegans, or have other special diets may need to take iron

supplements, since they may suffer from a deficiency in iron in known as anemia. Hemoglobin

and Hematocrit tests are used to measure iron in the blood. The role of iron in the blood is to

absorb oxygen into red blood cells to transport throughout the body. According to Mayo Clinic

“Without enough iron, your body can't produce enough of a substance in red blood cells that

enables them to carry oxygen (hemoglobin)” (Mayo Clinic). This then leads to anemia, causing

fatigue and headaches. Iron supplements help to raise the level of iron in the body, to improve

oxygen movement throughout the body.

Although iron is important for the body, too much of it not healthy. The Office of Dietary

Supplements under the National Institutes of Health reports that the recommended dietary

allowance of iron for 14-18 years old is 11mg (male) and 15mg (female), 19-50 year olds is 8mg

(male) and 8mg (female), and 50+ is 8mg (male & female) (Office of Dietary Supplements). It

then writes that tolerable upper intake levels are 45mg for 14+ year olds (male & female) (Office

of Dietary Supplements). The iron pills analyzed contained 65mg of iron. These high levels of
 Bassani 17

iron can lead to “gastric upset, constipation, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and faintness”

and “overdoses of iron can lead to multisystem organ failure, coma, convulsions, and even

death” (National Health Institute). People must be very cautious over how much iron they are

consuming. This is one reason why it is so important for the label to be accurate. If these labels

are recording lesser or greater amounts of iron than there really is, there can be catastrophic

health effects and complications.

In the end, the label can be concluded as correct. The average mass of 66.1mg falls

within the FDA regulated variance of iron in iron pills using a one-sided 95% interval prediction.

This interval prediction allows for the mass of iron to be within 63.36mg and 66.63mg of a stated

65mg label. Therefore, since the average mass of iron in a CareOne iron pill if 66.1mg, the label

is correct.

Conclusion

The mass of iron in a CareOne iron pill—lot number 6HN1825, expiration date

06/2019—was found using a redox titration (5Fe2++8H++MnO4-→5Fe3++Mn2++4H2O). A

standardized permanganate solution was used as the titrate and delivered to the iron pill powder

until the equivalence point was reached. The equivalence point was reached when the indicator

changed color. At the equivalence point, the number of moles of electrons between the oxidation

half-reaction and the reduction half-reaction were equally transferred. This allowed for the mass

of Fe2+ present in FeSO4 to be determined. The experimentally determined data for the mass of

iron in the iron pill was found to be 66.1mg ± 7.3mg between the four trials performed. This
 Bassani 18

value compared to 65mg on the bottle with a percent error of 7.36%. The theoretical data for the

label of 65mg is most likely a predicted value that was derived from a similar experiment. The

values printed on labels are regulated by the federal government, and must meet their

requirements before they are sold. Labels help determine the amount of certain substances that

are being put into the body to meet certain health and dietary needs. Accuracy is important for

supplements in order to prevent health complications. The average mass of iron in a CareOne

iron pill, being 66.1mg, falls within the one-sided 95% interval prediction of 63.36mg and

66.63mg. Therefore the label can be considered accurate.

Works Cited

Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “Guidance for Industry: Nutrition Labeling

Manual - A Guide for Developing and Using Data Bases.” U.S. Food and Drug

Administration , U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 9 July 2003,

www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/Lab

elingNutrition/ucm063113.htm#stat_5.

Duke Mathematics Department. “Titration .” Titration Project, Part 1, Duke Mathematics

Department , 2000,

services.math.duke.edu/education/ccp/materials/calculus_projects/TitrationProj/Titration

1.html.
 Bassani 19

Libretexts. “Titration Fundamentals.” Chemistry LibreTexts, Libretexts, 21 July 2016,

chem.libretexts.org/Demos%2C_Techniques%2C_and_Experiments/General_Lab_Techn

iques/Titration/Titration_Fundamentals.

Mecklenburg County Government. “Medication Container Labeling.” Mecklenburg County

Government , Mecklenburg County Government ,

www.mecknc.gov/HealthDepartment/Preparedness/Documents/Labeling%20Guidelines.

pdf+https://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ucm202726.htm+.

Office of Dietary Supplements. “Iron.” National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary

Supplements, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2 Mar. 2018,

ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Front-of-Package Labeling Initiative.” U.S. Food and

Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 27 Feb. 2018,

www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ucm202726.htm.

Watson, Stephanie. “What You Need to Know About Iron Supplements.” WebMD, WebMD, 12

July 2011, www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/features/iron-supplements#3.