Upon your request , I gathered some of the most respected scientists in the known universe.  These scientists belong to a well known group called the 4/5 Team of South Burlington.

You asked me to figure out what the mysterious white powder was that appeared on the Dexter schoolyard about a month and a half ago was.  Here’s what I found out:  The powder was made up of salt, cornstarch and baking soda.  How it got to the schoolyard was this. At about 8:30 A M, Wednesday the 17^th of October,  Best buy Bakery was delivering a shipment of baking materials to the local Grand Union. These materials included cornstarch and baking soda. In trade for these materials ,the grocery store was giving them a load of salt that they needed.   It just so happened that the delivery door to the store was right next to the schoolyard.

  There happened to be a light snow that day so when the Best Buy delivery truck came around the corner, it skidded and some of the baking soda and cornstarch came out onto the schoolyard.   At that moment, or perhaps the next, the Grand Union truck came out of the delivery door and had to turn sharply to avoid hitting the other truck.   It tipped over.   It was an understandable mistake to not question the truck drivers.

That is how the powder got to the schoolyard.  Now to how my group of scientists and I figured out what the powder was.  First, we did some tests for future reference.  Then we dropped vinegar, water, oil and alcohol in each of the 6 powders.  We knew that one or more of the powders were in the mystery powder. The results varied from powder to powder. Then I dropped iodine in the powders.  If the powder turned black when iodine was dropped in it, that meant that it was a starch. Only cornstarch turned black.

Then I dropped phenol red in the powders. If a powder turned yellow, that meant it was an acid. After that, I dropped phenolphthalein in the powders. The powder turning pink was an indication that it was a base. Baking soda was the only base and citric acid was the only acid. Then I tested the mystery powder with all the tests. I ruled in baking soda because it did a lot of the things that the mystery powder did. I also thought that it might have sugar in it because the mystery powder had something crystalline in it and sugar is crystalline. I later ruled in salt because when I observed it through the lens, the salt looked more like the mystery powder. Other powders such as citric acid and calcium carbonate were ruled out either because they were an acid or they just didn't do anything like the mystery powder.

So there you have it, the final three: cornstarch, salt and baking soda. A little simpler than you expected, huh?   I hope I didn't take too long.  It's been a pleasure doing business with you.