What are the inactive ingredients in medications that account for their weight and size?

Question

I take a 2mg vitamin supplement tablet and a 150mg tablet of a medication I’m on. The vitamin supplement tablet is actually a bit bigger so I’m wondering what else is in it, what accounts for its weight and size?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

It depends on specific pill, but mostly it’s binder. A binder is a material that holds the pill together and keeps it from crumbling. It’s usually a starchy material like cellulose or sucrose, and sometimes gelatin.