Drug Analysis

Cocaine:

 1. Chemical Name: Benzoylmethylacgoine

 2. Chemical Formula: C₁₇H₂₁NO₄

 3. pH: 4.5

 4. Biochemical Tests: Cocaine can stay in urine and blood for up to 5 days but is detectable in hair for up to 90 days making it easier for a forensic analyst to tell if someone has used the drug in the past three months with just a hair sample.

LSD:

1. Chemical Name:  Lysergic acid diethylamide

2. Chemical Formula: C₂₀H₂₅N₃O

3. pH: 4

4. Biochemical Tests: LSD is detectable in urine and blood and can be detected by drug screening procedures as long as it is stored in low temperatures and no light because the drug is very fragile and unstable in heat, light, and alkaline conditions. LSD can also be detectable in urine for up to 24 hours and in blood for 2 to 4 days.

Drug analysis activity:

In class we had six unidentified substances that we had to test with a cocaine detection reagent, an LSD detection reagent, and pH indicator test strips to see if they contain LSD or cocaine. These are the results.

Drug	pH	Cocaine reagent(blue)	LSD Reagent(yellow)
1	6	Positive	Negative
2	9	Positive	Negative
3	3	Negative	Positive
4	7	Positive	Negative
5	6	Negative	Negative
6	5	Negative	Positive