Science Olympiad - Forensics Powder Identification

HCl test: Fizzes
Flame test: Yellow
pH: Slightly basic
Uses: Antacid

Sodium Bicarbonate

Differentiate Sodium Bicarbonate from all other powders.

Flame test: yellow
Solubility: soluble
pH: slightly basic
Appearance: Fine white powder
Uses: Leavening Agent and Antacid (for heartburn)
HCl test: Fizzes
Common Name: Baking Soda

Appearance: Fine white powder
Uses: leavening agent
pH: slightly basic
Solubility: Soluble

Sodium Bicarbonate

Flame test: Yellow
pH: neutral
Dissolution: exothermic
Iodine Test: NR

Sodium Chloride

Differentiate Sodium Chloride from all other powders

Uses: Food additive, Road Salt
Appearance: White regular crystals
Flame test: yellow
pH: neutral

Uses: Food additive
Appearance: White regular crystals
pH: Neutral
HCl test: NR

Sodium Chloride

Flame Test: yellow
pH: slightly basic
Dissolution: endothermic
Benedict's Solution: NR

Sodium Acetate

Differentiate Sodium Acetate from all other powders

Flame test: yellow
pH: slightly basic
Uses: heating packs, food preservations
Appearance: Very fine powder.

Appearance: Very fine white powder
Uses: heating packs
pH: slightly neutral
Iodine Test: NR

Sodium Acetate

Uses: Washing soda
Flame test: yellow
HCl test: Fizzes
Iodine Test: Clear

Sodium Carbonate

Appearance: White powder
pH: very basic
Flame test: yellow
Benedict's Solution: NR

Sodium Carbonate

Differentiate Sodium Carbonate from all other powders

Flame Test: yellow
Common Name: Washing Soda
Appearance: White powder
Iodine Test: Clear

Iodine test: clear

Sodium Carbonate

Flame test: red
pH: neutral

Lithium Chloride

Uses: bee sting treatment
Appearance: large crystals
pH: neutral
HCl test: NR

Lithium Chloride

Differentiate Lithium Chloride from all other powders

flame test red

Uses: Salt Substitute, fertilizer
Appearance: Pinkish crystals
Flame test: purple
Iodine Test: NR

Potassium Sulfate

pH: Neutral,
Uses: Fertilizer
Dissolution: exothermic
NaOH: NR

Potassium Sulfate

Differentiate Potassium Sulfate from all other powders.

purple flame test

Uses: Gypsum
NaOH test: Precipitates
Solubility: Not Soluble
HCl test: NR

Calcium Sulfate

pH: Neutral
Flame test: orange
Uses: Cement ingredient, Drywall
Appearance: lumpy powder

Calcium Sulfate

Flame test: orange; precipitates from NaOH test; soluble in water

Calcium Nitrate

Differentiate Calcium Nitrate from all other powders

Flame test: orange
NaOH test: Precipitates
Solubility: Soluble
Uses: fertilizer, icemelt

Differentiate Calcium Sulfate from all other powders

Flame test: orange
Solubility: Not Soluble
NaOH test: Precipitates
Dissolution: exothermic
Appearance: lumpy powder

Uses: icemelt, fertilizer
NaOH test: Precipitates
Dissolution: Endothermic
Solubility: Soluble

Calcium Nitrate

Uses: limestone, chalk, marble
Flame test: orange
pH: neutral
HCl Test: NR

Calcium Carbonate

Differentiate Calcium Carbonate from all other powders

Chalk. (Flame test: orange NaOH test: NR Solubility: Not Soluble)

HCl test: Fizzes
Flame test: orange
Dissolution: Exothermic
Uses: heartburn medication, Antacid
NaOH test: NR

Calcium Carbonate

C27H48O20

cornstarch

Iodine Test: blue/black
pH: neutral
Flame test: burns
Solubility: Not Soluble

cornstarch

Benedict's Solution: NR
Uses: thickener, adhesive
pH: Neutral;
Appearance: lumpy powder
flame test: burns

cornstarch

Differentiate Cornstarch from all other powders

Iodine test: blue/black
Flame Test: Burns
Solubility: Soluble

C6H12O6

glucose

Benedict's Solution: red/brown
pH: neutral
Flame test: melts
Iodine Test: NR (remains brown/yellow)

glucose

Appearance: irregular white crystal
Uses: cellulose, sweetener
Dissolution: Endothermic
pH: neutral

glucose

Differentiate Glucose from all other powders

Flame test: melts
Benedict's solution: red/brown
Dissolution: Endothermic
Appearance: lumpy powder

C12H22O11

sucrose

pH: neutral
Uses: Food sweetener;
Appearance: Irregular yellowish crystal;
Common Name: Table Sugar

sucrose

pH: neutral
Solubility: soluble
Dissolution: exothermic
Flame test: melts
Iodine Test: NR (remains brown/yellow)

sucrose

Differentiate Sucrose from all other powders

Flame test: melts
Uses: sweetener
Uses: Irregular, yellowish crystal
Common Name: Table Sugar

Dissolution: Exothermic
Common Name: Epsom salt
Solubility: Soluble
pH: Neutral
Flame test: White glow
Appearance: cylindrical crystals

Magnesium Sulfate

NaOH test: Precipitates
pH: Neutral
Uses: Treating sprains, fertilizer
HCl test: NR

Magnesium Sulfate

Differentiate Magnesium Sulfate from all other powders

Flame test: white glow
NaOH test: Precipitates
Common Name: Epsom salt
Appearance: Cylindrical crystals

Flame Test: bright green
pH: acidic
Chemical Formula: H3BO4
Dissolution: Exothermic

Boric Acid

Appearance: Either powder or crystal
Common Name: borax
pH: acidic
Solubility: Soluble
Appearance: Antiseptic; bug spray

Boric Acid

Differentiate Boric Acid from all other powders

pH: acidic
Flame test: green
Common Name: borax
Appearance: either powder or crystal

Uses: cough medicine, fertilizer, dry cell battery
NaOH test: NH3 gas/NR
flame test: faint green
HCl test: NR

Ammonium Chloride

Dissolution: Exothermic
Uses: Textile print
Appearance: irregular clearish crystal
Benedict's Solution: Dark Blue
pH: acidic

Ammonium Chloride

Differentiate Ammonium Chloride from all other powders

pH: acidic
Flame test: faint green
NaOH test: NR/NH3 test
Benedict's Solution: Dark Blue
Appearance: Irregular clearish crystal