Fun Science - How to Grow Crystals

A crystal is a substance in which the atoms, molecules, or ions which make up the substance are arranged in a regularly ordered, repeating, 3-dimensional pattern. Most crystals are solids. Common crystals are salt, quartz, and snowflakes.

More about crystals from Wikipedia.

This experiment involves ammonia, kids should be supervised.

This is a classic that normally produced white crystals but the additions of food coloring really makes them spectacular.

Materials
4 tablespoons salt
4 tablespoons liquid bluing (found in the laundry aisle)
4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoon ammonia
food coloring
Several small pieces of porous rock, charcoal, or broken terracotta flowerpots. Heavy cardboard cutout shapes can also be used.
Shallow dish such as a pie plate

Instructions
1: Mix the salt, liquid bluing, water, and ammonia together. Add food coloring if desired.
2: Pour the mixture over small pieces of porous rock, charcoal or pieces of broken clay flowerpots in the shallow dish.
3: Sprinkle a few tablespoons of salt over the pieces to seed the crystal formation.
4: Crystals will start to grow within 6 hours and continue for about three days.
5: To keep the crystals growing longer add more of the mixture every 3 days.

This involves hot sugar syrup and can cause burns if splashed on the skin. Kids should do this experiment under close adult supervision.

Materials
2 1-Pint Jars
Plastic tub lid
Bamboo Skewer
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
Food coloring (optional)

Instructions
1: Cut the pointy end off the skewer.
2: Combine water, sugar. and optionally food coloring in a pot and bring to a steady boil for 20 minutes (or use a candy thermometer and bring it to 250°F) stirring frequently to prevent burning.
3: Pour hot sugar syrup into one jar and cover for 15 minutes to cool.
3: Poke skewer through the plastic lid and place lid over the jar so the skewer is suspended in the sugar syrup. The end of the skewer should be about 1 inch above the bottom of the jar.
4: Watch the crystals grow. In 10-15 minutes you will stat to see crystals form on the skewer and throughout the syrup. After 30-45 minutes you should have a a good amount of crystals on the skewer, remove and suspend to dry in the empty jar. Do not leave the skewer in the sugar syrup too long or it will form so many crystals that it will be impossible to remove from the jar.

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