Time: 1–2 days
Materials:
-Table salt (sodium chloride)
-Warm water
-String
-Paperclip or small stick
-Glass jar
Instructions:
Heat a cup of water (not boiling).
Slowly add salt, stirring until no more dissolves (creating a saturated solution).
Tie a string to a paperclip or stick, and hang it in the jar so it dangles in the solution without touching the sides.
Let the jar sit undisturbed at room temperature.
Over 24–48 hours, crystals will form on the string as the water evaporates.
Explanation:
As the water evaporates, the solution becomes supersaturated, forcing salt to come out of solution and form crystals. Goal: Grow larger, more structured alum crystals.
Time: 3–5 days
Materials:
-Alum powder (available at pharmacies)
-Warm distilled water
-Clear glass jar
-Nylon fishing line or thin thread
Instructions:
Heat a cup of distilled water and dissolve as much alum as possible (until no more dissolves).
Let the solution cool slightly.
Pour the solution into a clean jar.
Tie a piece of nylon line to a seed crystal (small alum crystal) and suspend it in the solution without touching the sides or bottom.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in a cool, undisturbed place.
Over several days, the seed crystal will grow as more alum deposits onto it.
Explanation:
Cooling the saturated solution reduces the solubility of alum, causing it to precipitate and form larger, well-defined crystals. Goal: Grow large, blue copper sulfate crystals with defined geometric shapes.
Time: 7–10 days
Materials:
Copper sulfate (available online or in chemical supply stores)
Distilled water
Glass container
Fishing line or thin wire
Small crystal as a seed
Instructions:
Dissolve copper sulfate in heated distilled water until saturated.
Filter out any impurities using a coffee filter.
Place the solution in a clean container.
Tie a seed crystal to a fishing line and suspend it in the solution without touching the sides.
Keep the container covered in a cool, dark place.
Allow the crystal to grow undisturbed for a week, adding more solution if needed to maintain growth.
Explanation:
As the solution cools and evaporates, copper sulfate comes out of the solution and deposits onto the seed crystal, growing larger and more defined.