Real World:

Determination of
Calcium in Milk

By Delaney Caudill, Ethan Nichols,

and Katie Vautier

Background
Methods Considered
Ion Selective Electrode Method
Trichloroacetic Acid Filtrate Method
Use of this acid as a protein precipitator
to determine calcium content

Complexometric Titrations
A volumetric analysis in which a
formation of a colored complex is used to
indicate the end point of a titration

Purpose
Determine and compare the calcium
content via a complexometric
titration to listed values of different
types of milk
Compare two different indicators

Procedure #1: PattonReeder

Dry EDTA at 80C overnight
Make 750mL of 0.03408M EDTA
Combine 10mL of sample, 40mL
distilled water, and 4mL of 8M
sodium hydroxide solution into an
Erlenmeyer flask
Add 0.1g of Patton-Reeder indicator
Titrate w/ EDTA solution

Data
Whole Milk
Trial

mL EDTA added

Grams Ca2+

9.72

0.013276

9.47

0.012935

9.21

0.012580

9.39

0.012825

Avg.

----------

0.012904

% Difference

Fat free milk: 5.1%

1% milk: 2.5%
2% milk: 2.0%
Whole milk: 6.2%
Calcium Fortified: 9.0%

Before Titration

After Titration

Color Change?

Procedure #2: Eriochrome

Black T
Add 3mL of milk and 5mL ammonia
buffer in a 250mL Erlenmeyer flask
Calibrate a pH meter and measure
pH of each sample (needs to be 10)
Add 0.03g of indicator
Titrate with EDTA

Data
Whole Milk
Trial

mL EDTA added

Grams Ca2+

5.10

0.0069659

4.48

0.0061190

4.41

0.0060234

4.50

0.0061464

Avg.

----------

0.0063137

Results
Whole milk: 54.1%
Makes sense due to different
indicator (EBT)
pH of sample was 10
pH had effect on sample?

Procedure #3: Eriochrome

Black T

Same as procedure #1 except used

different indicator: Eriochrome Black
T

Data & Results

No quantitative data
No color change due to the solution
having a pH between 12 and 14
Eriochrome Black T indicates a color
change at a pH of 10

No Color Change

Theoretical Grams of Ca per Serving

Based on a 2,000 calorie diet, daily
calcium intake should be 1,100mg
Each milk carton claims it contains
30% of daily calcium intake

Example Calculations
Grams Ca2+ in a serving of milk

Ex. Whole Milk

Percent Difference

Ex. Whole Milk

Sources of Error
INDICATORS!
Subjective color change

Different people titrated samples

Reading the buret
Wait for precipitate to come out of
solution to remove magnesium
oxide

Future Work
Investigate different indicators
Change pH of samples to use
Eriochrome Black T indicator by
changing molarity of NaOH
Try other calcium supplements such
as vitamins or orange juice

Conclusion
Successful experiment
Efficient method: complexometric
titration
Low percent differences

Necessary to order Patton Reeder

since Eriochrome Black T yielded
higher percent difference

References
Harris, Daniel C. Quantitative
Chemical Analysis, 8th ed.; W.H.
Freeman and Company: New York,
2010, page 240.
http://www.chemteach.ac.nz/invesiga
tions/documents/calcium.pdf
http://www.jbc.org/content/90/3/747.f
ull.pdf

Special Thanks
Dr. Peterman
Melissa, Kate, Pat, and
Kiersten
Professor Mowery

Question
s?