A hydrate is a substance where in it contains water and other constituent elements. To know whether if that compound was a hydrate,you should record its mass, then put it in a test tube and heat it with a Bunsen burner. If the compound is a hydrate, the water in the compound will discharge in the form of water vapor. At the next 5-10 minutes, remove it in the test tube and weigh it up again. If the mass is now fewer, that means that there was water existing that has now evaporated, and the compound was a hydrate.
