Both proton nuclear magnetic resonance (HNMR) and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR) successfully tracked the changing proportion of GHB free acid and carboxylate forms as a function of pH, while simultaneously monitoring for the formation of the lactone gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), which rapidly forms in GHB solutions at low pH. The results were consistent with acid-base conversion behavior for a carboxylic acid. HNMR provided an ideal means for analyzing liquid-based GHB/GBL forensic exhibits based on simple dilution of the neat liquid exhibit without altering the original proportions of GHB free acid, carboxylate, and GBL in the samples. The description of materials and methods used in the study addresses standards and chemicals used, procedures used in experiments with the free acid solutions, HNMR measurements, infrared spectroscopic measures, and the high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet analysis of GHB and GBL. 10 figures and 29 references