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That helped a lot. Thanks so much!

Hey guys I was wondering about how to identify sample fibers?

Do we have to use the burn test or somethingg

Yeah, that's one of the main ways. Supervisors will provide the matches or candles if they give you fibers to ID.

ragi wrote:Hey guys I was wondering about how to identify sample fibers?

Do we have to use the burn test or somethingg

Are flame tests allowed in B Division? If they are, definitely go with that, but if not, different fibers have different patterns when viewed under a microscope and if I remember correctly, microscopes are provided at competititon (they are for C Division).

ragi wrote:Hey guys I was wondering about how to identify sample fibers?

Do we have to use the burn test or somethingg

Burn tests are allowed and the proctor should give you matches if they give you a fiber. However, like computergeek3 said, you can use a microscope to identify fibers, although burn tests are far easier. If you can, go for the burn test!

ragi wrote:Hey guys I was wondering about how to identify sample fibers?

Do we have to use the burn test or somethingg

I remember last year my partner and I, as well as the rest of the participants had to use microscopes, but I dunno.

thanks guys

So we just finished up an Invitational and did terribly.
We had everything we needed for every possible substance, but absolutely NOTHING went right. One material was salt. We were sure it was salt...but no reaction to Iodine. We had a metal that had to be aluminum...had to be! But it couldn't be. Half the clues didn't suggest anybody at all, and the ones that did suggest somebody were evenly divisible so that there was one clue for each suspect. I just went ahead and wrote "the butler did it", since we had no idea who it could possibly be.

Any tips, any tips at all, would be helpful.

SO I'm having a reaaly hard time identifying fibers, are there are tricks/tips?

KingsRanger wrote:So we just finished up an Invitational and did terribly.
We had everything we needed for every possible substance, but absolutely NOTHING went right. One material was salt. We were sure it was salt...but no reaction to Iodine. We had a metal that had to be aluminum...had to be! But it couldn't be. Practice. This event is about DOING, less studying. Use the process in the flow charts, shrink 'em, and dump them on your cheat sheets. That is the most systematic way to ensure success. I never said this was easy. You could follow the flow chart exactly and still run into trouble even when you know what you're IDing is supposed to be gypsum but your tests lead you to believe it's something else. It happens. All you can do is practice.
I'd also worry if your technique is good. You're using small scoops of sample, right?

Half the clues didn't suggest anybody at all, and the ones that did suggest somebody were evenly divisible so that there was one clue for each suspect. I just went ahead and wrote "the butler did it", since we had no idea who it could possibly be. Two points. First, if your ID was all wrong, your clues were wrong. Right? Next, unless there was a butler in the story, don't guess bogus answers (I can't tell ). Always put your best foot forward! The best way to make an educated guess is to assume your clues are correct and write a write-up based on who they implicate. If it's nobody or two people, fine! A good supervisor will give you points for a good write-up even if it isn't what they originally intended.

iheartscience wrote:SO I'm having a reaaly hard time identifying fibers, are there are tricks/tips?

Read SO's fiber notes. It doesn't hold your hand but explains several processes you can use. You may need to Google some examples of what each type of fiber looks like when magnified afterwards.