For the Science ppl out there: Antacid Question?

Question

How would you find a balanced Chemical Equation for the reaction of stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) with Tums (CaCO3) and milk of magnesia { Mg(OH)2 }?

please, thanks for your time and help

Answer 1

The antacids act as bases in an acid base reaction.

Using Tums (CaCO3), this reaction will occur,
2HCl + CaCO3 --> CaCl2 + H2CO3
The H2CO3 is unstable and will decompose further,
H2CO3 --> H2O + CO2
for an overall reaction of,
2HCl + CaCO3 --> H2O + CaCl2 + CO2

Using milk of Magnesia,
2HCl + Mg(OH)2 --> MgCl2 + 2H2O

In both of these reactions, water and a metal chloride salt is produced (along with Carbon Dioxide in the case of the CaCO3 reaction).
For every 1 mole of antacid reacted, 2 moles of acid were neutralized.