By Layla Cruz Martinez, Sean McGavin, Jillian Pabalan, Amina Walcott

Faculty Mentor: Sarah Smith

Abstract

Ascorbic acid (i.e. Vitamin C) is an essential vitamin in promoting a healthy immune system. It can be found in over-the-counter tablets, with a variety of brands to choose from. The concentrations of ascorbic acid in name-brand and generic vitamin C supplement tablets will be
assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography to verify the accuracy of their purported concentrations. We will also determine which tablet has the higher concentration of ascorbic acid, and whether the two concentrations are statistically different from each other. We will
develop a calibration curve and determine the concentrations of each sample using this calibration. The unknown concentration will be determined using the equation provided by the calibration curve. A statistical analysis will be performed to compare the name-brand and generic tablets.