Who Poisoned Buzz Lightyear?

Megan Keck

Cooking Show Surprise

Woody and Buzz Lightyear host a cooking show, and wanted a guest star to be on an episode. Each auditioner had to prepare: A hot dog, a wrap for the hot dog, a drink, and a mystery white powder for dessert.

One of the auditioners must have felt a little jealous of Buzz because he had his own show, so they poisoned him! He is currently in the hospital, and its up to you to figure out who did it!

Items left at the crime scene… A piece of hot dog 5 piles of white powder on the

ground Two pieces of bent metal on the

ground (one in a circular shape, one in an ‘s’ shape)

175 mL of clear liquid An outline of Buzz, with his hands on

his hips

Suspects…

A table was created that shows each suspect and what they prepared on the cooking show…

Suspect Drink Wrap Powder Hot DogWicked Witch Water Zinc Ascorbic acid Fat free

Snow White Alcohol Sulfur Ascorbic acid Light pork

Daffy Duck Grape drink Plastic Sodium polyacrylate Pork

Shrek Water Iron Sucrose Fat free

Dorothy Salt water Aluminum Baking soda Pork

Princess Leia Vinegar Iron Ascorbic acid Light pork

Harry Potter Lemonade Copper Sucrose Light pork

Jimmy Neutron Water Iron Sodium polyacrylate Pork

Icky Vicky Vinegar Aluminum Ascorbic acid Light pork

Darth Vader Salt water Aluminum Sodium chloride Fat free

Lord Voldemort Salt water Zinc Baking soda Fat free

Goofy Alcohol Copper Sodium chloride Pork

Ariel Water Iron Sucrose Pork

Ursula Alcohol Plastic Sodium polyacrylate Fat free

Donkey Vinegar Copper Sodium chloride Light pork

Prince Charming Salt water Aluminum Baking soda Fat free

Nancy Drew Salt water Iron Sodium chloride Pork

Sponge Bob Water Zinc Sucrose Pork

Dora Salt water Zinc Baking soda Light pork

Luke Skywalker Salt water Aluminum Sodium polyacrylate Fat free

Hypothesis

If Prince Charming prepared salt water, an aluminum wrap, baking soda, and a fat free hot dog, then he poisoned Buzz, because the items he prepared appeared to match the items at the crime scene.

What to do

First, perform a series of tests to gather information about all of the properties of drinks, wraps, hot dogs, and powders.

Once all of the information is gathered, you will perform the same tests on the items left at the crime scene

You will then compare the results, and figure out who did it!

Materials- Drinks To test for Color, Conductivity, Density,

Optical Properties, Flammability, and Reactivity, you will need:

• A glass graduated cylinder • A medium glass beaker • 6 matches • A conductivity meter• A plastic well plate • A hand lens • Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda)

• Samples of each drink (pure water, alcohol, salt water, grape drink, vinegar, and lemonade with pulp).

Materials- Wraps To test for Malleability, Luster,

Conductivity, Texture, and Reactivity, you will need: • A plastic well plate • Baking soda

• A dropper • A hand lens• Hydrochloric acid • A conductivity meter• A small plastic container

• Samples of the 6 wraps (plastic, aluminum, zinc, copper, iron, and sulfur)

Materials- powders To test for Solubility, Flammability,

Conductivity, Reactivity, and Melting, you will need:• A paper cup • A medium glass beaker • Water • A conductivity meter• A plastic well plate • A hand lens • A burner • Aluminum foil• 5 matches • Vinegar• A glass stirrer • Samples of each powder

(sucrose-sugar, baking soda, sodium polyacrylate, ascorbic acid, and sodium chloride)

Materials- Hot Dog To test for Mass (pre-squeeze and post-

squeeze), Density, Conductivity, and Reactivity, you will need:• 3 paper towels • Iodine • Water • A conductivity meter• A plastic well plate • A hand lens • A plastic graduated cylinder • A triple beam balance• 5 matches • Vinegar• A dropper • Samples of each hot

dog (pork, fat free, and light pork)

Procedure- Drinks1. Put a few drops of grape drink in your well plate 2. Record the color and optical properties of the drink (transparent,

translucent, or opaque)3. To test for conductivity, turn on the conductivity meter4. Place the exposed ends of the conductivity meter into the liquid,

making sure that the two metal pieces are not touching each other nor are they touching the bottom of the well plate.

5. The lights of the conductivity meter will glow which allows you to see how conductible the liquid is.

6. Use this chart to determine conductivity of the liquid:

Red: Green: Conductivity level:off off none

light off low

medium low medium

bright medium high

very bright bright very high

Procedures- Drinks (continued)7. Record the conductivity level of the grape

drink8. Dry the meter off and put it away9. To measure density of the liquid, take a glass

graduated cylinder and fill it with water up to 10 mL

10. Take a dropper and put 3 to 4 drops of grape drink in the water (do not use the grape drink from the well plate!). See if it sinks to the bottom of the graduated cylinder, or if it floats above the water (you might have to wait for a few minutes)

11. Record whether it floats or sinks in water12. Dump out your graduated cylinder and put it

away

Procedures- drinks (continued)13. To test for reactivity, get out a plastic spoon and the

sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)14. Place a small amount of sodium bicarbonate in the grape

drink that is already in your well plate.15. Using the hand lens, observe what happens to the

mixture16. Record what happens17. Dump out the drink that is in the well plate18. To test for flammability, fill a glass beaker about a quarter

full with the grape drink19. Light a match and touch it to the drink20. Record whether it catches on fire or not21. Dump the grape drink out and throw the match away22. Put the graduated cylinder awayRepeat steps 1-22 with each of the other 5 drinks

Baking Soda

Procedures- Wraps

1. Put a small piece of iron in a well plate2. Record whether it is dull or shiny, and the

texture. 3. Record whether it is very thin (malleable) or

thick (nonmalleable)4. To test for conductivity, get the conductivity

meter and test its conductivity by placing the exposed ends of the conductivity meter onto the iron, making sure that the two metal pieces are not touching each other nor are they touching the bottom of the well plate.

5. See chart on slide 12 to determine conductivity level

6. Record the conductivity level

Procedures- wraps (continued)7. To test for reactivity, get out the hydrochloric acid

and dropper- CAUTION: HYDROCHLORIC ACID CAN EAT THROUGH SKIN AND BONE, AND IS DANGEROUS IF TOO MUCH IS INHALED OR DIGESTED.

8. Place a few drops of hydrochloric acid onto the iron and watch what happens using the hand lens

9. Record what happens to the iron10. To get rid of the hydrochloric acid, get out your

plastic container and fill it about a quarter full with baking soda

11. Pour the iron and the hydrochloric acid into the container (baking soda absorbs hydrochloric acid!)

Repeat steps 1-11 with the other 5 wraps

Procedures- powders1. Put a small spoonful of Baking soda into your

well plate2. To test for reactivity, using a dropper, put about

three drops of vinegar onto the baking soda3. Using the hand lens, watch what happens and

record it4. Dump out the baking soda mixture5. To test for flammability, put a small spoonful of

Baking soda into your well plate6. Light a match and put it onto the baking soda,

and record whether it catches on fire or not7. Dump out your baking soda and throw away the

match8. Put your well plate away

Procedures- powder (cont.)9. To test whether the powder will melt, turn on your burner and put a spoonful of

baking soda onto a piece of aluminum foil; put the aluminum foil on the burner10. Once the burner is hot, record if the baking soda melts or not11. Turn off your burner and clean everything up During our experiment, while the Burner was heating up, we also tested for

solubility. 12. To test for solubility, get the medium-sized beaker and fill it halfway with

water13. Pour a spoonful of baking soda into the water, and stir it with the glass stirrer

for one minute14. Record whether or not the baking soda dissolved in the water15. To test the conductivity of the powder, we used the baking soda-water

mixture used in the solubility test. 16. To test for conductivity, get the conductivity meter and test its conductivity

by placing the exposed ends of the conductivity meter into the mixture, making sure that the two metal pieces are not touching each other nor are they touching the bottom of the beaker.

17. See chart on slide 12 to determine conductivity level18. Record the conductivity levelRepeat steps 1-18 with the other 4 powders, EXCEPT for SODIUM

POLYACRYLATE

Exception: sodium polyacrylateFlammability and melting can be

conducted the same way as the other powders, but, when testing reactivity, solubility and conductivity of sodium polyacrylate, put the sodium polyacrylate into a paper cup that you can throw away. DO NOT PUT SODIUM POLYACRYLATE DOWN THE SINK!Sodium

Polyacrylate

Procedures: hot dog 1. Put a piece of pork hot dog into your well plate2. To record the mass of the hot dog ‘pre-squeeze’, use a

triple beam balance 3. Put the hot dog on the triple beam balance and measure

the mass of your hot dog, then record. Clean off your triple beam balance, then put it away

4. To find the volume of the hot dog, take a plastic graduated cylinder, and fill it with 50 mL of water

5. Drop the hot dog into the water, and see how many mL the water raised. Subtract 50 mL from the new volume (water + hot dog), and you have the volume of the hot dog

6. Divide mass found in step 3 by volume found in step 5 and record the answer. This is your density.

7. Dump out your cylinder, but keep the hot dog. Put the cylinder away

Procedures- hot dog (continued)8. To find out how much fat is in a hot dog, get out a paper towel,

wrap it around the hot dog and squeeze the hot dog as much as you can

9. Keep all of the pieces of the hot dog on the paper towel Note: During our experiment, we tore the hot dog in half to make it

easier to squeeze10. To find the mass of the hot dog ‘post squeeze’, take the bits of

hot dog off of the paper towel and find the mass of the pieces by using the triple beam balance as in step 3. Record the post squeeze mass.

11. Take the pieces off of the balance, and clean the balance. Put the hot dog parts into your well plate.

12. To test the conductivity of the hot dog - put the ends of the conductivity meter into the meat part of the hot dog, not the skin. Record conductivity level. See chart on slide 12.

Procedures- hot dog (continued)13. To test for reactivity, get out the

iodine and a dropper14. Put one or two drops of iodine on

the hot dog (try to put the drops on the meat, not the skin!), and record any changes of color (it will be immediate)

Repeat steps 1-14 with the other 2 types of hot dogs

Data- Drinks Drink: Color: Conductivity: Density:

Optical Properties: Flammability: Reactivity:

Pure Water Clear low same transparent no little bubbles

Alcohol Clear low/none float transparent yes nothing

Salt Water Clear very high sink transparent no nothing

Grape Drink Purple low sink translucent no nothing

Vinegar Clear low float transparent nofizzing and

bubbles

Lemonade with Pulp

Almost clear- a

little yellow medium sink translucent no a little bubbling

Data- Drinks

Conductivity of Liquids

3

1

1

1

low

low/none

very high

medium

Data- Drinks

Drink ObservationsPure Substance/

Mixture

Mixture: Heterogeneous/Homogeneous

Pure Substance: Compound/ Element

Water Clear Pure Substance N/A compound

Alcohol Clear Mixture  homogeneous   N/A

Salt Water Clear Mixture  homogeneous N/A

Vinegar Smells Bad, Clear  mixture  homogeneous N/A 

Grape DrinkPurple, smells like

Grapes  Mixture  homogeneous N/A 

Lemonade with Pulp

Yellowish, not completely clear,

little pulps floating inside Mixture  homogeneous N/A

Data- Wraps

Wraps: Malleability: Luster: Conductivity: Texture: Reactivity:

Plastic yes dull none wrinkly none

Aluminum yes shiny very high smooth none

Zinc yes shiny very high smooth none

Copper yes shiny very high smooth none

Iron yes shiny very high smooth tiny bubbles

Sulfur no dull none smooth/crumbly none

Data- Wraps

Conductivity of Wraps

2

4

none

very high

Data- Wraps

Wrap ObservationsPure Substance/

Mixture

Mixture: homogeneous/heterogene

ousPure Substance:

Compound/Element

Plastic Purple, wrinkly Mixture homogeneous N/A

Aluminum silver, shiny Pure Substance N/A element

Zinc silver, shiny Pure Substance N/A element

Ironsilver, shiny, with a piece

missing Pure Substance N/A element

Copper penny colored, shiny Pure Substance N/A element

Sulfur crumbly, yellow Pure Substance N/A element

Data- Powders

Powder: Solubility: Flammability: Conductivity: Reactivity: Melting:

Sucrose yes no medium none yes

Baking Soda yes no high bubbles and fizzes no

Sodium Polyacrylate yes no highExpands into a soft, snow-like material no

Ascorbic Acid yes no high 3 large bubbles yes

Sodium Chloride yes no very high none no

Data- Powders

Melting of Powder

2

3

yes

no

Data- Powders

Powder ObservationsPure Substance/

Mixture

Mixture: homogeneous/heterogeneo

usPure Substance:

Compound/Element

SucroseWhite, aka sugar, smells

good when melted Pure Substance N/A Compound

Baking SodaWhite, fizzes when reacted

with vinegar Pure Substance N/A Compound

Sodium Polyacrylate White, puffs up when it

touches a liquid Pure Substance N/A Compound

Ascorbic Acid orange-y, clumpy Pure Substance N/A Compound

Sodium Chloride table salt, white Pure Substance N/A Compound

Data- Hot Dogs

Hot Dog: Pre-Squeeze: Post-Squeeze: Density: Conductivity: Reactivity:

Pork 11 grams 8.5 grams 1.2 g/mL highturns dark

brown/purple/gray

Light Pork 12 grams 10.5 grams 1.4 g/mL very high none

Fat Free 9.5 grams 8.5 grams 1.3 g/mL very high turns dark brown

Data- Hot Dogs

Mass of Hot Dogs

02468

101214

Pork Light Pork Fat Free

Type of Hot Dog

Mas

s of

Hot

Dog

Pre-Sqeeze Mass

Post-Squeeze Mass

Data- Hot Dogs

Hot Dog Observations

Pure Substance/

Mixture

Mixture: homogeneous/h

eterogeneous

Pure Substance:

Compound/Element

Pork Lightest Skin mixture Homogeneous N/A

Light Pork Speckled Skin mixture Homogeneous N/A

98% Fat Free Orange-ish mixture Homogeneous N/A

Crime Scene Items

After completing these tests, the same tests were performed on each of the items left at the crime scene.

The data of the crime scene items were then compared to the data obtained previously.

Crime Scene DataHot Dog: Pre- Squeeze:

Post- Squeeze: Density: Conductivity: Reactivity:

Crime Scene 8.5 7.5 1.7 highdark brown/ gray/purple

Powder: Solubility: Flammability: Conductivity: Reactivity: Melting:

Crime Scene yes no medium none yes

Wraps: Malleability: Luster: Conductivity: Texture: Reactivity:

Crime Scence yes shiny very high smooth tiny bubbles

Drink: Color: Conductivity: Density:Optical

Properties: Flammability: Reactivity:

Crime Scene clear low same transparent no none

Conclusion According to the data, the items at the crime

scene were: water, an iron wrap, sucrose, and a pork hot dog.

The Iodine (reactivity) test performed on the crime scene hotdog showed that a Pork hot dog was prepared.

The density test performed on the crime scene liquid, showed that the liquid prepared was water.

The melting test performed on the crime scene powder showed that the powder used was Sucrose.

The reactivity test (Hydrochloric Acid) performed on the crime scene metal showed that it was Iron.

Conclusion

Original Hypothesis: Prince Charming poisoned Buzz because the foods he prepared appeared to match the items left at the crime scene.

The data showed the hypothesis was incorrect.

Based on these results, Ariel poisoned Buzz.

Interesting trends, patterns, etc. For the experiments used during this

investigation, all of the Metal wraps (iron, zinc, aluminum, and copper) had pretty much the same data

Conclusions: Limitations

Some limitations to the experiment:Time-could not repeat trials because of time limits

Conclusions: Flaws

The temperature of the burners was not recorded and melting points may not have been reached

Next Logical Experiment

To determine which item had the poison in it.

Poison Article

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Poison-Pellet-Murder&id=3802336

References

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/4mmc.png

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Graduated_cylinder.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Sodium_bicarbonate.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Iodine_trichloride.JPG

http://fc96.deviantart.com/fs45/i/2009/126/c/3/Ariel_by_Norm27.jpg