Chemical Identification

Students became chemistry sleuths in the science lab this week. In this lesson, we discussed how to identify a chemical without the use of complicated machines. Students learned that in addition to using their senses, they could also use chemical properties for identification. Each group of students was given two unknown white powders to test (baking soda, borax, salt, cornstarch, sugar, and chalk) and using the data they collected from a series of 4 tests, they were then able to use their test results to identify the unknown white powders.

They performed tests of three different properties: solubility, reactivity, and decomposition with heat, in order to identify their unknown sample. They observed which samples dissolved in water and/or in rubbing alcohol, which reacted with vinegar or iodine (if a substance reacted with vinegar the students observed bubbling, and if a substance reacted with iodine, it turned purple!), and what happened when we held a sample over a flame (nothing, popping sounds, smoke, or perhaps the delicious smell of caramel!).