forensics

Sodium Acetate

White, irregular shape, ph(8), when mixed has a sweet odor

Sand

White w/ black specs, random, ph(6), does nothing while mixed

Calcium Carbonate

White, powder, ph(7-8), very airy/holey

Vitamin C

Color depends, grains, ph(2), may be tinted orange/pink/yellow but originally white

Salt

White, square grains, ph(6-7), electrically conductive

Sugar

White, rounded grains, ph(6-7), similar to salt but grains slightly rounded

Flour

Off white, powder, ph(6-7), clumps w/ water

Cornstarch

White, powder, ph(6-7), may feel slippery or yellowish

Gelatin

Light yellow, grains, ph(6), swells in water

Alka Seltzer

White, powder, ph(6-7), fizzes w/ everything including H20

Yeast

Tan, pellets, ph(7), smells like bread

Baking Soda

White, powder, ph(8), rough texture

Gypsum

White, powder, ph(6), opaque bubbles and hardens in water

Sodium Acetate (solubility)

Yes, vinegar odor, none, NaC2H3O2

Sand (solubility)

No, none, bad odor, SiO2

Calcium Carbonate (solubility)

No, fizz, none; looks like peanut butter/mustard, CaCO3, Limestone/chalk/argonite

Vitamin C (solubility)

Yes, none, clears it, C6H8O6, ascorbic acid

Salt (solubility)

Yes, none, none, NaCI, table salt

Sugar (solubility)

Yes, none, none, C12H22O11, sucrose/crystal sugar

Flour (solubility)

No; lumpy, none, blackens it/ clumps tg, (C6H12O5)n

Cornstarch (solubility)

No; forms oobleck, blackens it, C27O48H20

Gelatin (solubility)

No; turns into gel, none, C102H151O39N31

Alka Seltzer (solubility)

Yes, fizz, fizz, C6H8O7+NaHCO3+C9H8O4

Yeast (solubility)

No, none, none, microorganism, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

Baking Soda (solubility)

Yes, extremely fizzy for a long time, none; more red than gypsum, NaHCO3, Sodium bicarbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate

Gypsum (solubility)

No, none, none, CaSO4*2H20

Aluminum

Gray, light, none, delayed reaction with HCI/long time/not reliable

Copper

Copper, heavy, none, very easy to ID

Iron

Black, heavy, none, delayed reaction w/ HCI/ smells like rotten eggs

Tin

Gray, light, none, yellow tint

Zinc

Gray, heavy, none, shiny

Magnesium

Gray, light, little fizz after some time, dull

Aluminum (HCI)

Little fizz, no, AI, 13

Copper (HCI)

None, no, Cu, 29

Iron (HCI)

Fizz, yes, Fe, 26

Tin (HCI)

Little fizz/immediate, no, Sn, 50

Zinc (HCI)

Fizz/immediate, no, Zn, 30

Magnesium (HCI)

Fizzes and loses color/dissolves after some time, no, Mg, 12

Cat hairs

Cat hair has a scaly outside (cuticle) similar to human hair and sometimes can be easily identified by the fragmented look, though the core (medulla)

Dog hairs

Has a very thick medulla

Human hair

Medulla is almost invisible