PURPOSE:
The purpose of this experiment was to determine what the mystery substance is by
testing it against other known substances,
HYPOTHESIS:
If the mystery substance reacts in the same chemical manner as a known substance
then the identity of the mystery powder canj,e determined because substances
have unique chemical properties.
MATERIALS:
Well plate
Icing sugar
Cornstarch
Citric acid
Baking soda
Baking powder
Eye protection
Mystery powder
Tooth pick
Vinegar
Water
Universal indicator
Iodine solution
Dropper
PROCEDURE:
1. Get goggles from the shelf and place over eyes to protect from content being
used.
2. Collect all of the substances and equally sort into different parts of the well
plate. Place the substances in the following order: icing sugar, corn starch,
citric acid, baking soda, baking powder and finally the mystery powder.
3. Copy the chart located on page 190 from the Nelson Science Perspectives 9
textbook onto a blank piece of paper. After the chart is copied the physical
properties of each substance will be required to be identified and recorded
including the mystery powder.
4. After the physical properties are recorded go collect the chemical properties
form the front of the room, which includes the water, universal indicator,
vinegar and iodine solution. Apply all of the chemicals to the different
corners of the mystery powder. Record your findings on the chart.
5. Test the other known powder substances with the chemicals in the order left
to right in the well plate. Icing sugar, cornstarch, citric acid, baking soda,
then and the baking powder. Use the chemicals in any order but make sure
to put the chemicals in different corners so they cannot and do not mix.
Record your observations in the chart.
6. After all of the observations have been made the next step is to compare the
known powders to the mystery powder to see which has the same effects.
Record these findings in your conclusion.
7. Take the well plate and clean it in the sink. Return all of the chemicals to the
front of the room where they are kept
2
QliRYATfflN&
Sultance + Water = Reaction
a) Icing sugar Waten
Cornstarch Water:
Citric Add Waten
Baking Soda Waten
Baking Powder Water:
Mystery Powder Water:
-
-
-
-
-
-
Dissolves the icing sugar
No reaction
Absorbs then dissolves
Absorbs
Fizzing & releases C02
Absorbs
b) By adding vinegar to the substance a reaction releases C02. Eliminating all
but two substances baking soda and baldng powder. Looking at the rest of
the reactions you will observe that the one with the same compounds of the
mystery powder is found to be the baking soda
c) The chemical properties that were useful to determine the mystery powder
were water and vinegar. Vinegar; when added to the substance foamed and
released C02. This helped eliminate everything but the baking soda and
baking powder. When adding water it was absorbed into the substance. The
only one that absorbed was the baking soda. Therefore concluding that the
mystery substance was baking soda.
d) The confidence level was almost certain for the Identification of the mystery
powder. For future improvements of this investigation, samples should be
more organized and the same amount of chemicals should be put into each
substance.
e) Some of the physical properties that were not used in the experiment are the
taste test, melting point and boiling points.
0
PH levels or universal test
Water = no colour change
Vinegar = light pink
Battery Add = hot pink
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SUBSTANCE
PHYSICAL
PROPERTIES
CHEMICAL
PROPERTIES:
WATER
REACTION
UNIVERSAL
INDICATOR
Turns almost
clear, absorbs
WITH
VINEGAR
ICING SUGAR
Fluffy & soft
Dissolves icing
sugar
CORN
STARCH
Soft & smooth
No reaction
Being
absorbed
No reaction
CITRIC ACID
Rough & looks
like salt/sugar
Absorbs then
dissolves
Absorbed &
turned purple
Absorbed it
BAKING SODA
Thin & rough
Absorbs
No reaction
BAKING
POWDER
Smooth & soft
Absorbs
MYSTERY
POWDER
Looks like
icing sugar
Fizzing,
releasing
carbon
dioxide
Absorbs
Releases
carbon
dioxide
Releases
carbon
dioxide &
fizzes
Releases
carbon
dioxide
Turns it
yellow
Nor reaction
IODINE
SOLUTION
Turns black
dissolves
sugar
Turns black,
sits on top of
corn starch
Turns yellow,
absorbs and
Turns yellow
Turns black,
fizzing &
slowly
absorbing
Turned
orange
CONCLUSION:
In conclusion the mystery powder had the same chemical properties as baking soda.
After observing each chemical reaction of each substance, the mystery powder and
baking soda both absorbed the water, turned yellow when the universal indicator
was added, released carbon dioxide when vinegar was added, and finally when the
iodine solution was added they both turned a yellow-orange.
—.—.,
4