Mystery Powders
Description: Identify mixtures of common white powders
Number of Participants: 2
Goggles:
Mystery Powders requires a team to wear goggles. These must be
brought by the team and worn during the event. Each member must
wear goggles.
The Competition
1. These common white powders may be used. Every mixture
will consist of one to four of these powders. You will be told
how many are in Mixture A and how many in Mixture B, but not how many
in Mixture C.
powdered sugar baking
soda flour
salt corn starch
plaster of Paris citric acid
2. Each team must bring and wear goggles. If you forget
them, you must go fetch them and thereby have less time for the event.
3. Teams will test three mixtures to determine what powders are in
each. These materials will be provided to assist in testing.
vinegar
water
candle aluminum foil
clothes pin iodine
solution black paper
magnifying lens red &
blue litmus paper
4. No tasting is allowed. Failure to follow this rule will
result in immediate disqualification from the event.
5. A team may bring a data chart to assist in the testing
process. No pictures or illustrations are allowed on such a
chart. If the chart does not receive prior approval [see General
Rules], it cannot be used.
6. Each team will light its own candle.
7. Teams must help cleanup as requested by the judge[s]. Failure to
do so can result in reduction of points for that event.
Scoring
Team with the greatest number of powders identified is the winner.
Tie Breaker [if any]
Shortest period of time to finish