Mystery Powders!      

      This year my classmates and I did some work about this white substance on the playground in Colorado.  It was called a Mystery  Powder.

      We analyzed six different white powders to see if any  powder was like the mystery powder.  We were put in groups.  Our group's name was the Brainiacs.  We had to mix different liquids with the powders to see what it was.  So to find out what all the powders were, we mixed baking soda with phenolphthalein and if it turned pink, it meant that it was a base.  Then we tested baking soda with phenol red.  If it turned yellow, it was an acid.  These are all the tests we did.  We tested baking soda, salt, cornstarch, citric acid, calcium carbonate, sugar with water, alcohol, vinegar, oil, phenol red, Iodine, and phenolphthalein. 

        As a result of our testing, we found out that the mystery powder has actually three powders mixed together.  The first powder was baking soda.  We discovered this because when we mixed the powder with vinegar, it bubbled.  That's what happens with baking soda and vinegar. 

        Then we tested iodine with the mystery powder and it turned black.  That made me say it was cornstarch because when we tested starch, it had the same results.  

        There was one more powder in the mystery powder.  It had to be salt because when we looked at the powder through a hand lens, it had tiny crystals.  At first I thought it was sugar.  Sugar does have crystals, but they look different than salt though a hand lens.  So salt what in the mystery powder.

        I think the powder must have come from the Best Buy Bakery because it might have the salt, baking soda and corn starch for baking.  Maybe a big truck was coming into the town at night.  When it was turning in the alley, it tipped too hard and some of the powder fell out into the yard. 

        If you have any questions or comments I will be happy to answer them for you.

Love, Olivia      

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This page last updated: 08/28/04.