What is white powder?

Today you will be a forensic chemist. 

A bag of white powder has been confiscated by the airport customs. You need to find out what white powder it is?

Aim: To learn about the makeup of different white powders.

There are a number of different white powders in our everyday life. Some of these are harmful and others are not. Test the four white powders listed to see which one has been found at the airport.

Here are some examples of everyday kitchen white powders.

Flour

Cornflour

Sugar

Salt

Baking Soda

Baking Powder

Icing Sugar

Tartaric Acid

Citric Acid

Gluten Free Flour

Materials

1.  
2.  
3.  
4.  
5.  
6.   
7. 

Upload a photo of each powder.

1.  Cornflour

2.  Baking Soda

3.  Salt

4. Sugar 


On the black cardboard using a microscope, you need to record what you see. You will be given a small amount of 4 white powders on your cardboard. Look at them under your microscope and record what you see. 
Do not mix the powders or taste the powders.

Findings:

	Sugar	Salt	Baking Soda	Cornflour
Appearance
Texture
Smell
Iodine
Water
Vinegar

Write a paragraph about your findings.

Making Sherbet

Using the following recipe you need to make sherbet.

Sherbet recipe

Recipe: 

1tsp of powdered drink crystals (eg refresh)
1/4 tsp citric acid
1/4 tsp tartaric acid
1/4 tsp -baking soda.
Put all ingredients into a ziplock bag, stir, and enjoy.

Materials:

1.  Powdered Beverage

2.  Citric acid

3.  Tartaric acid

4.  Baking soda

5.  Ziplock bag

6.  Spoon

Findings:

Sherbet
Taste	Acidic, sweet, a sour-tangy after taste, a bubbling reaction straight after it touches the tongue, a cooling effect on the mouth and throat
Colour	A paler version of the original colour of the powdered beverage and looks a bit finer.

Conclusion

 The sherbet as very much a success with the right blend of sweetness and acidity that counter the sourness of the sherbet. It's not too bubbly that it hurt the tongue but has just had the right amount of all the mixture. Also leaves a quite umami aftertaste in the tongue which lasts for some time.