Dear Dexter School Board,

        My name is Ambe and you asked my class and I to find out what the mystery powder was.   So we experimented mixing different powders and liquids.  After we performed tests with the liquids and powders we looked at their reactions.  We decided that the mystery powder was salt, cornstarch, and baking soda.

        We took notes on all of the experiments and used them to help figure out what was in the mystery powder.  We had to feel, look, and smell the powders mixed with liquids to come up with some answers.

        One of the tests we did was to add iodine to the mystery powder.  It turned black and that told us that there was cornstarch in it.  I know that because when you add iodine to cornstarch it turns black.

        The next test that we did was to compare sugar and salt.  We did this to find out if we could see it in the mystery powder using a magnifying glass. Before we did this part of the test, we felt the powders. We discovered that one powder was sugar and one powder was salt.  The sugar felt hard and when we added liquid to it, it dissolved. The salt looked different under the magnifying glass.  It looked like little squares and it felt hard and sunk to the bottom of the cup when we added liquid to it.  We knew there was salt in the mystery powder by its shape and because we could see the salt sink  to the bottom when we added water to the mystery powder.

        We knew there was baking soda in the mystery powder because when we mixed it with vinegar, it bubbled, and when you put vinegar with baking soda, it bubbles a lot.

        The other problem is how the powder got on the playground . What I think is that one day a grocery truck came to drop off salt, corn starch and baking soda to the school for the lunch ladies. Then,  he or she dropped the bags so hard, the bags broke.  Then the powder spread really quickly and at recess, the powder spread to the playground.  When the kids went out they told their teachers. Then they sent it to my class and that is how we got the powder.

        There is one more problem we are trying to figure out: where did the powder came from?  I think it came from the grocery store.

From,     Ambe

Click here to go to my web page.

       Click here to go to our class web page. 

Click on here to open my  fourth grade  web page. 

Click here to go to Orchard's home page.

Page created by Ms. Marcell's class.

This page last 2001/2002