How to grow crystals from salt and other substances?

In the school laboratory and at home you can get beautiful single crystals or bunches from small crystals, cover them with different objects (paper clips, figurines of threads, paper). How to grow crystals from salt dissolved in water? From everyone who wishes to conduct this interesting experience, care will be required, attention and exact execution of the instruction.

What is crystallization?

When the substance is dissolved in water, its particles pass into the solution. The reverse phenomenon was called "crystallization". This process is associated with a change in the solubility of the substance at different temperatures. With gradual cooling, crystals leave the saturated solution. In shape, the resulting particles are similar to cubes, rhombuses with sharp, straight edges and smooth sides. Different compounds are suitable for the experiment: sodium chloride, sugar, potassium bichromate, copper sulfate and other substances. They give crystals of different shapes and colors. The most accessible of water-soluble compounds is sodium chloride. The substance is safe for a person, does not lead to burns if it gets on the skin or inside the body. Let's find out how to quickly grow salt crystals.

Helpful Tips

When performing the experiment, you will need to follow simple rules. This will allow in a short time to get large regular shaped crystals:

• Use demineralized or distilled water ;
• To grow crystals of substances with good solubility;
• Conduct experience in clean dishes;
• Filter the solution (you can use a paper towel).

You can observe the process, but do not shake and move the container. Many people are interested in how to grow crystals from salt so that they are of a certain size. Everything depends on the temperature at which the saturated solution is located, as well as on the presence of undissolved particles and impurities.

With slow cooling, large crystals drop out, and when fast, a lot of medium and small crystals fall out. To cool the jar with the solution is left in a cold room or placed in a bowl with water and ice slices.

What equipment is required for the experience?

Laboratory work "Growing salt crystals" can be successfully performed at home. Very simple objects and substances will be required:

• A glass flask or a glass (you can take a jar);
• A pan for heating on a water bath;
• A bowl of cold water in which a saturated solution will be cooled;
• Stick for stirring (glass or wooden);
• Funnel and filter paper (paper towel);
• A thermometer for water;
• Copper wire, clip;
• Thread;
• A stick from ice cream or a pencil;
• Half a cup of table salt;
• Demineralized water.

How to make crystals out of salt? Instruction for laboratory work

In advance, choose the largest salt from the crystals, they serve as seed particles. Tie them to the string, wrap it with a stick from the ice cream (pencil). While laying this blank and prepare a saturated solution. The use of a heating appliance is required. Be careful not to spill hot water, do not get a burn from the burner.

Progress:

1. Pour one teaspoon of table salt into a jar of water and place on a water bath (90 ° C). Continue stirring the liquid with a stick until the salt portion is completely dissolved.
2. Continue adding the substance until it dissolves. Proceed from the fact that at 100 ° C in 100 ml of water 39.2 g of sodium chloride dissolves.
3. As soon as saturation is reached, complete the heating. Filter the hot liquid in another jar.
4. Dip the filament with the particle to start the process.

After a while the crystal of table salt will grow. It must be got and dried on a paper towel. You can conduct an experiment without initiating crystallization or drop a metal clip attached to the thread. On it grow crystals. If you cover them with a colorless varnish, then they will be better preserved.

How to get the blue crystals?

Copper sulfate is readily soluble in water. From this substance, you can grow large blue crystals. Only need to carefully conduct the experiment - the compound is toxic. How to grow crystals from salt, which is the crystal hydrate of copper sulfate? It is possible to grow large and very beautiful specimens by placing an initiating particle in the solution. To obtain it, a slightly supersaturated copper sulfate solution is poured into the saucer and left overnight. Of the fallen crystals choose the one that is larger, tied to a silk thread and lowered into a hot saturated solution so that it does not touch the walls and the bottom of the jar. In the air, the bound water will evaporate from the copper sulfate, it will turn into a faint greenish powder of copper sulphate. It is necessary to dry the finished crystal and varnish.

How to grow crystals from salt in the form of letters and figures?

In banks, prepare, in accordance with the instructions, a saturated solution of salt, copper sulfate, sugar, potassium dichromate (in different vessels). For white substances, food colorings can be used. Produce a thin wire from a figure or letter. Wrap it with white woolen threads. Lower the prepared skeletons on the suspensions into still not cooled supersaturated solutions so that they do not touch the bottom and walls of the cans. In a day or even faster, the figures will be covered with crystals. Take them out, dry them on a paper towel and cover with a colorless nail polish. A few ideas for using grown crystals:

• Presentation at the school on the topic "Solutions";
• Registration of a report on the conduct of laboratory work;
• Decoration of the festive wall newspaper;
• Making Christmas toys for the Christmas tree;
• Gifts to friends, teachers, parents;
• Creation of a collection of grown crystals.