Mystery Powder Lab
Purpose
Identify the mystery powder based on its physical and chemical properties.
Hypothesis
The physical properties of each powder can help identify what the mystery powder is, but the chemical properties will determine the answer.
Safety * Wear safety glasses. * Do not taste any substance in this experiment * Iodine solution and some powders are hazardous. * Wash hands when you have finished.
Materials
* Eye protection * Well plate * 6 small toothpicks for stirring each powder * 6 white powders: icing sugar, cornstarch, Aspirin powder, baking soda, baking powder, and the mystery powder * Scoopula * Test solutions in dropper bottles: water, universal indicator, vinegar, and iodine solution …show more content…
Apparatus
Observations
Procedure 1. The table for observations was copied into notebook. 2. Eye protection was obtained and worn, and a sample of each powder was placed on small pieces of paper and brought to the experiment area. 3. Each powder was added to its specified well in the well plate using a scoopula. Only the tip of the scoopula had powder on it so it was a small amount. 4. The physical properties of each powder were recorded into the table. 5. 5 drops of water were added to each well, and then mixed with a toothpick. Chemical reactions were recorded into notebooks. 6. Well plate was washed, rinsed, and dried completely to prepare for powders to be added again. Toothpicks stayed the same. 7. Repeat steps 3, 5, and 6, adding vinegar instead of water. 8. Repeat steps 3, 5, and 6, adding universal indicator instead of water. 9. Repeat steps 3, 5, and 6, adding iodine solution instead of water. 10. Well plate was washed with soap and water, toothpicks thrown out, remaining powders returned to their containers, experiment area wiped clean, and eyewear returned to shelves.
Analysis/Evaluation A) Chemical changes that occurred: * Bubbles/foam formed when mixing: water with baking powder and the mystery powder, vinegar with baking soda, baking powder, and the mystery powder, and iodine solution with baking powder and the mystery powder. * Change of color occurred when mixing: universal indicator with icing sugar (light green), cornstarch (orange), Aspirin powder (red-orange), baking soda (turquoise), baking powder, and the mystery powder (light orange); Iodine solution with cornstarch (green-black), Aspirin powder (green-grey), baking soda (red-orange), baking powder, and the mystery powder (dark green). B) We concluded that the mystery powder is baking powder since they had the exact same chemical reactions with each substance. C) Chemical because each substance has its own unique reactions with different chemicals while they can looks and feel the exact same as other powders but have different reactions. All these powders were white so it was difficult to tell with only physical properties. D) I feel 100% confident about my identification because all of the physical and chemical properties of both powders were exactly the same. I would suggest this exact experiment: start out with identifying the physical properties and if that’s not enough, try to see what each substance reacts with. E) The substance’s taste, which could help but could be very dangerous if any of the powders are poisonous. We could’ve also tested each powder’s melting point but that could be difficult to do without proper use or supervision of the heat. F) You could add something like baking soda or a different substance to a cup of water, vinegar, and battery acid, and add it to the puddle to see which of them has the same reaction as the liquid that forms the puddle. Be sure to have supervision and not stand too close to the puddle when adding the substance, in case a large reaction occurs.
Conclusion
The purpose of this lab was to identify the mystery powder using physical and chemical properties, and before starting the experiment, I made this hypothesis: The physical and chemical properties of each powder can help identify the mystery powder but the chemical properties will determine the answer.
My observations have reflected my hypothesis. Though the physical properties helped eliminate a couple of powders, I couldn’t get a definite answer because the icing sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, and the mystery powder looked generally the same. Chemical reactions are slightly more accurate because two different substances can look the exact same but one may react with a certain substance while the other one doesn’t. Had we only done one test with, for example, iodine solution, it may not have worked because many of the powders turned a shade of green and they were mostly similar. Since we did many different tests, it was easier to math up the mystery powder with baking powder because all of their tests had the exact same results while the others varied. I also recorded what kind of mixture it was (solution, suspension, emulsion, colloidal dispersion) which also helped to identify the powder. I’ve learned that you can apply physical and chemical properties into situations that you wouldn’t think involved chemistry, like identifying a powder. To conclude, my hypothesis was correct and physical and chemical properties can be applied to problems outside of a science
lab.
Sources of Error
An error that occurred during this experiment was a small event of cross-contamination; a couple of grains of Aspirin powder landed in the cornstarch well when testing their reactions to the iodine solution, but that didn’t affect the results. A way to improve this lab could be having different toothpicks every time when switching to test a new substance to avoid cross-contamination and having cups that are separate for each powder to avoid powders landing in wells that aren’t their own.
Identify the mystery powder based on its physical and chemical properties.
Hypothesis
The physical properties of each powder can help identify what the mystery powder is, but the chemical properties will determine the answer.
Safety * Wear safety glasses. * Do not taste any substance in this experiment * Iodine solution and some powders are hazardous. * Wash hands when you have finished.
Materials
* Eye protection * Well plate * 6 small toothpicks for stirring each powder * 6 white powders: icing sugar, cornstarch, Aspirin powder, baking soda, baking powder, and the mystery powder * Scoopula * Test solutions in dropper bottles: water, universal indicator, vinegar, and iodine solution …show more content…
Apparatus
Observations
Procedure 1. The table for observations was copied into notebook. 2. Eye protection was obtained and worn, and a sample of each powder was placed on small pieces of paper and brought to the experiment area. 3. Each powder was added to its specified well in the well plate using a scoopula. Only the tip of the scoopula had powder on it so it was a small amount. 4. The physical properties of each powder were recorded into the table. 5. 5 drops of water were added to each well, and then mixed with a toothpick. Chemical reactions were recorded into notebooks. 6. Well plate was washed, rinsed, and dried completely to prepare for powders to be added again. Toothpicks stayed the same. 7. Repeat steps 3, 5, and 6, adding vinegar instead of water. 8. Repeat steps 3, 5, and 6, adding universal indicator instead of water. 9. Repeat steps 3, 5, and 6, adding iodine solution instead of water. 10. Well plate was washed with soap and water, toothpicks thrown out, remaining powders returned to their containers, experiment area wiped clean, and eyewear returned to shelves.
Analysis/Evaluation A) Chemical changes that occurred: * Bubbles/foam formed when mixing: water with baking powder and the mystery powder, vinegar with baking soda, baking powder, and the mystery powder, and iodine solution with baking powder and the mystery powder. * Change of color occurred when mixing: universal indicator with icing sugar (light green), cornstarch (orange), Aspirin powder (red-orange), baking soda (turquoise), baking powder, and the mystery powder (light orange); Iodine solution with cornstarch (green-black), Aspirin powder (green-grey), baking soda (red-orange), baking powder, and the mystery powder (dark green). B) We concluded that the mystery powder is baking powder since they had the exact same chemical reactions with each substance. C) Chemical because each substance has its own unique reactions with different chemicals while they can looks and feel the exact same as other powders but have different reactions. All these powders were white so it was difficult to tell with only physical properties. D) I feel 100% confident about my identification because all of the physical and chemical properties of both powders were exactly the same. I would suggest this exact experiment: start out with identifying the physical properties and if that’s not enough, try to see what each substance reacts with. E) The substance’s taste, which could help but could be very dangerous if any of the powders are poisonous. We could’ve also tested each powder’s melting point but that could be difficult to do without proper use or supervision of the heat. F) You could add something like baking soda or a different substance to a cup of water, vinegar, and battery acid, and add it to the puddle to see which of them has the same reaction as the liquid that forms the puddle. Be sure to have supervision and not stand too close to the puddle when adding the substance, in case a large reaction occurs.
Conclusion
The purpose of this lab was to identify the mystery powder using physical and chemical properties, and before starting the experiment, I made this hypothesis: The physical and chemical properties of each powder can help identify the mystery powder but the chemical properties will determine the answer.
My observations have reflected my hypothesis. Though the physical properties helped eliminate a couple of powders, I couldn’t get a definite answer because the icing sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, and the mystery powder looked generally the same. Chemical reactions are slightly more accurate because two different substances can look the exact same but one may react with a certain substance while the other one doesn’t. Had we only done one test with, for example, iodine solution, it may not have worked because many of the powders turned a shade of green and they were mostly similar. Since we did many different tests, it was easier to math up the mystery powder with baking powder because all of their tests had the exact same results while the others varied. I also recorded what kind of mixture it was (solution, suspension, emulsion, colloidal dispersion) which also helped to identify the powder. I’ve learned that you can apply physical and chemical properties into situations that you wouldn’t think involved chemistry, like identifying a powder. To conclude, my hypothesis was correct and physical and chemical properties can be applied to problems outside of a science
lab.
Sources of Error
An error that occurred during this experiment was a small event of cross-contamination; a couple of grains of Aspirin powder landed in the cornstarch well when testing their reactions to the iodine solution, but that didn’t affect the results. A way to improve this lab could be having different toothpicks every time when switching to test a new substance to avoid cross-contamination and having cups that are separate for each powder to avoid powders landing in wells that aren’t their own.