Chemical Properties:

Chemical Properties: relates to a substance's ability to undergo changes that transform it into different substances.
(definition comes from page 8 in the textbook)


Flammability:
For this test, I carefully placed a flame on the cocoa powder. I know flammability is a chemical property because flames can potentially change the original substance to a new substance.

Flame and Cocoa Powder

At first, the cocoa powder looked like it was burning because the color of the powder started to turn black. Then when I took the flame away from the cocoa powder I noticed a trail of smoke coming off the powder.

Cocoa Powder and Trail of Smoke

Then I began to blow on the cocoa powder because I was curious to see what would happen. To my surprise, the cocoa powder actually had embers in it. So the cocoa powder is indeed flammable.

Embers appeared when I blew on the cocoa powder.

Reactivity with Acid:

First, I mixed a little vinegar with some baking soda. Then I added half a teaspoon of cocoa powder to the mixture. I observed that some bubbles were forming and that was about it. Nothing else noticable happened after the bubbles formed. I know reactivity is a chemical property because when two or more chemicals react, a new substance can potentially be created.

Bubbled formed.

Oxidation/ Sensitivity to Light:

     According to http://www.enotes.com/science-experiments-projects/chemical-properties/what-some-examples-chemical-properties, oxidation is the ability to react with oxygen which is a chemical property. Some examples of oxidation are a sliced apple turning brown or iron rusting. For this test, I left the cocoa powder container opened overnight. The cocoa powder did not in any way react with oxygen. 

     According to http://www.enotes.com/science-experiments-projects/chemical-properties/what-some-examples-chemical-properties, sensitivity to light is a chemical property. An example of this is that newspapers turn yellow because they are sensitive to light. For this text I put direct light on the cocoa powder or three hours and observed any noticable changes. Then I put the cocoa powder in complete darkness for three hours and observed for any noticable changes. The cocoa powder did not react to light or darkness. The color remained the same.

I placed a flashlight on the powder for a consecutive three hours to observe the chemical property of sensibility to light.

Reactivity with Water:

First I filled a small glass with about one tablespoon of water. Then I added one teaspoon of cocoa powder. I observed the mixture for a couple of minutes and I noticed that the cocoa powder was slowly mixing itself with the water. Reactivity with water is a chemical property because when a substance is mixed with water, a new substance can be created. In this case, when I mixed cocoa powder and the water, a new substance was made, a muddy liquid.