[strangevile]

It's a common amber vial with a black cap (like this: http://www.themysticcorner.com/images/Amber_Vial.jpg).  Inside are a few mL of a clear liquid and a little white ball that rolls around at the bottom.  The ball is maybe .65cm in diameter.  The liquid smells very strongly and reminds me of rubbing alcohol or chloroform (But, I have no way of identifying it).

Any ideas?

[strangevile]

The ball is not perfectly round, it appears to be a sample of something.

[ifuller]

If you really want to figure it out I would suggest doing some experiments such as pH paper on the liquid and density testing on both the liquid and solid. Don't touch either substances until you are more sure of what it is. And also, I wouldn't take big whiffs of it either without more information.

[enahs]

I would guess that the "ball" is something that is easily oxidized in air but not in whatever solution it is in.

Do you know what kerosene smells like? Does it smell like that?
If you are lucky it is a small piece of Sodium metal in kerosene!


If you are unlucky it is something very toxic or dangerous.

[UnintentionalChaos]

Do you have any pipettes? Take a few drops worth of the liquid and see if they mix with water. If they don't, it would make sense that this is a sample of a reactive metal. Next, without taking it out of the liquid, scrape the surface with something and see if it is silvery under the white layer. If it is, you are probably looking at one of the following: sodium, potassium, calcium. It doesn't float in the liquid right? That would possibly mean it is lithium if it did. If it does seem to be a metal, I would buy some mineral oil (look at the laxative or maybe baby care section of your local stores) and replace the liquid in the container with it.