Who Poisoned Buzz Lightyear? The Investigation

By: Bailey Smith5th Period

Introduction

• Buzz Lightyear was poisoned at his cooking show. Twenty people came to it along with four different materials- a drink, a wrap, a powder, and a hot dog. The students know who came and what they brought. To investigate who poisoned him, the students are going to be conducting many tests on the different materials brought. Then, they will compare the collected data to the data collected from conducting the same tests on the evidence at the crime scene to determine what materials were left at the crime scene. This will help determine who did it by comparing the materials left at the crime scene to the materials brought by the suspects.

Hypothesis

• Hypothesis• If salt water, aluminum, sodium chloride, and

a fat-free hot dog were left at the crime scene, then Darth Vader poisoned Buzz Lightyear, because brought these materials to the cooking show.

Materials• General materials:• Well plate• Glass beakers• Eyedroppers• Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)• Conductivity meter• Triple beam balance• Plastic graduated cylinder• Hydrochloric acid• Goggles• Forceps• Hand lens• Hot plates• Iodine• Paper cups• Stirring rods• Spoons• Matches

Materials Continued• Drinks:• Pure water• Alcohol• Salt water• Vinegar• Grape drink• Lemonade

• Wraps:• Plastic• Aluminum• Zinc• Copper• Iron• Sulfur

• Powders:• Sucrose (sugar)• Sodium bicarbonate(baking soda)• Sodium polyacrylate• Sodium chloride (table salt)• Ascorbic acid

• Hot Dogs:• Pork hot dog• Light pork hot dog• Fat free hot dog

Procedure for Drinks:

• Drinks:• Conductivity:• Fill one of the holes in the well plate with one of the liquid.• Put the tips of the conductivity meter in the liquid.• Observe how bright the lights are and compare it to the back of the meter.• Density:• Pour about 10ml of water in a graduated cylinder. • Pour another 10ml of the liquid you are testing in.• Observe whether the liquid sinks or floats in the water.• Reactivity with baking soda:• Fill one of the holes in the well plate with one of the liquid.• Pour ¼ a spoonful of baking soda into each liquid.• Observe what happens.• Flammability:• Pour 100ml of the liquid in a beaker.• Light a match and place it in the liquid.• Observe whether or not it burns.

Procedure for Wraps:• Wraps:• Conductivity:• Touch the tips of the meter to the wrap.• Observe how bright the lights are and compare it to the back of the meter.• Density:• Place the piece of metal on a triple beam balance and move the weights right until

the end of the beams is aligned with the mark. Look at where the weights are to determine the mass.

• Fill a graduated cylinder with 50ml of water. Drop the wrap in the water and observe how much the water level rises. The amount that the water level rises is volume.

• Divide mass/volume• Reactivity with hydrochloric acid:• Place one piece of the metal in the well plate.• Put two drops of the hydrochloric acid on the metal and observe what happens.

Procedure for Powders:• Powders:• Solubility:• Fill one of the two deeper holes in the well plate with water.• Place a very small amount of the powder in the water.• Stir it with the stirring rod. Observe whether or not the powder dissolves.• Melting:• Observed whether or not the powders melted on the burner.• Conductivity:• Fill one of the two deeper holes in the well plate with water.• Place a very small amount of the powder in the water.• Stir it with the stirring rod.• Place the tips of the conductivity meter in the solution and observe how bright the lights are and

compare it to the back of the meter.• Reactivity with vinegar:• Fill one of the holes on the well plate with the substance.• Pour 2 drops of vinegar on. Observe what happens.• Flammability:• Light a match and put it on the powders. Observe whether or not it burns.

Procedure for Hot Dogs:• Hot dogs:• Mass (pre-squeeze):• Place the hot dog on a triple beam balance.• Move the weights right until the beam is aligned with the mark. Record what number each weight is on to

determine the mass.• Mass (post-squeeze):• Place the hot dog parts on a triple beam balance.• Move the weights right until the beam is aligned with the mark. Record what number each weight is on to

determine the mass.• Density (pre-squeeze):• Fill a 100ml graduated cylinder with 60ml of water.• Drop the hot dog in and record how much the water rises.• Divide mass/volume• Conductivity (pre-squeeze or post-squeeze):• Place the tips of the conductivity meter in the hot dog. Observe how bright the lights are and compare it to

the back of the meter.• Reactivity with iodine (pre squeeze):• Get a beaker with iodine and an eyedropper in it.• Put two drops of iodine on the hot dog (not on the skin). Observe what happens.

Drink DataDrink: Physical:

ColorPhysical:Conductivity

Physical:Density

Physical:Opticalproperties

Chemical:Flammability

Chemical:Reactivity with baking soda

Pure Water

Clear Low transparent no none

Alcohol Clear None transparent yes none

Salt Water

Clear; cloudy Very high transparent no none

Vinegar Clear medium transparent no Much fizz

Grape Drink

Purple medium opaque no bubbled

Lemonade

Cloudy; yellow low translucent no Some fizz

Crime Scene Liquid

Clear low transparent no none

Drink Data 2Drink

Pure Water

Alcohol

Salt Water

Vinegar

Grape Drink

Lemonade

Crime Scene Drink

Wrap DataWrap Physical:

MalleabilityPhysical:Luster

Physical:Conductivity

Physical:Density

Chemical:Reactivity

Plastic yes glossy none none

Aluminum yes shiny Very high noneZinc yes shiny Very high

Copper yes shiny Very high

Iron yes shiny Very high

Sulfur no glossy none

Crime Scene Wrap

yes shiny Very high

Wrap Data 2Wrap

Plastic

Aluminum

Zinc

Copper

Iron

Sulfur

Crime Scene Wrap

Powder DataPowder Physical:

SolubilityPhysical:Melting

Physical:Conductivity

Chemical:Reactivity

Chemical:Flammability

Sucrose no yes high no no

Baking Soda no no Very high Yes; bubbles No; slightly burnt

Sodium Polyacrylate

yes no Very high no no

Sodium Chloride

no no Very high no no

Ascorbic Acid

yes yes high Yes; bubbles no

Crime Scene Powder

Powder Data 2Powder

Sucrose

Baking Soda

Sodium PolyacrylateSodium ChlorideAscorbic Acid

Crime Scene Powder

Hot dog DataHot Dog Pre-squeeze Post-

squeezeDensity Conductivit

yReactivity

Pork 11.2g 9.6g 1.02g/ml Very high yes

Light Pork 10.5g 8.8g 1.05g/ml Very high no

Fat-free 10.1g 9.55g 1.19g/ml Very high yes

Crime Scene Hot Dog

11.7g 8.9g 1.009g/ml Very high yes

Hot dog Data 2Hot Dog observations

Pork

Light pork

Fat-free

Crime Scene hot dog

Conclusion

• The hypothesis of the student was incorrect, because he thought that salt water, aluminum, sodium chloride, and a fat free hot dog were left at the crime scene so Darth Vader poisoned Buzz. Comparing this to the data that shows that pure water, iron, sucrose, and a pork hot dog were left, apparently Ariel had truly poisoned Buzz, since all of them matched the crime scene materials. The data shows the hypothesis was incorrect….

• The equipment was limited to…The flaws of their experiment were…The next logical experiment would be…

References Cited

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