Crystals can be grown from almost any substance. Crystals are obtained from proteins, iodine, various metals. Not many people know that crystals can be obtained even from air by cooling it to a certain temperature. However, in a normal environment, it is most easy to grow crystals from inorganic salts. In this article, we will look at a method for growing crystals from copper sulfate, which is easy to find and purchase.
First of all, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the process of experience in the video
What do we need:
- copper sulfate;
- cup;
- hot water;
- plate;
- cardboard;
- colorless nail polish
The very first thing to do before you start growing a crystal is to make a seed, that is, a crystal that is subsequently lowered into the solution. This crystal will continue to grow. The seed should be about the size of a pea.
To begin with, take a glass and pour salt into it about half or a third of the glass.
Next, pour hot water into our glass, and mix everything thoroughly.
It's easy to check if you've added enough salt. To do this, continue to pour salt until it ceases to dissolve.
After the salt has ceased to dissolve, and the solution has become as saturated as possible, it must be filtered, since salts usually contain impurities of various insoluble substances.
After the solution is filtered, you need to throw a small amount of small crystals to the bottom and leave this glass for a day so that large crystals form at the bottom.
After 24 hours, large crystals form at the bottom of the beaker, the size of which is quite suitable for seeding.
We pour the solution into another glass, because you need to pick out the resulting mass of crystals. To do this, take a knife and pick out the fused mass of crystals at the bottom of the glass.
Pour the crystals into a plate and choose the smoothest and largest crystal.
After we have chosen the largest and “successful” crystal, it must be tied with a thread.
You also need to take a piece of cardboard and make a simple system, as shown in the figure below.
We hang the crystal in a glass with a solution. The piece of cardboard system that the author uses, as well as that we offer, provides the most efficient environment for growing crystals. Thanks to this system, dust does not get into the glass.
Crystal growth takes a lot of time and patience.
If you want to get a more beautiful crystal, then you need to filter the solution every two weeks so that it is always clean. You can also periodically add a saturated solution to the glass with a crystal to maintain the desired level.
Sometimes at home you want to do something interesting, for example, to do a simple chemical experiment. Surely each of us is interested in how to make a crystal at home. Such an activity is sure to appeal not only to small children, but also to adults. It does not take much effort to grow a crystal from salt, and the result will certainly please and delight all household members.
What is needed to grow a crystal?
In order to grow a crystal from salt at home, you need to stock up on the necessary materials. Some of them are in any home, and some may have to be bought in addition to the store. It is also important to remember that salt microlite will not grow in a few hours. You may have to wait about 3-4 weeks, or even more.
Materials:
1. Salt.
This material is the basis for home grown microlite. Formula table salt– NaCl. Salt usually dissolves in warm water. In our case, it will react with water, forming seals that will turn into microliths. It is better to use pure salt without impurities, which will ensure the success of the experiment.
It is best to use distilled water, which is used in chemical experiments for the purity of the experiment. If this is not possible, filtered water can be used. So it will not contain unnecessary impurities that can interfere with the growth of the crystal.
3. Capacity.
It is important to consider the material from which, for example, a cup is made. A crystal will grow in it, so the choice of capacity should be taken with special responsibility. The glass must be non-metallic so that the metal does not react with the salt. The glass must first be rinsed and washed from extraneous specks or grains of sand, because they can contribute to the growth of small microlites.
4. Thread, wire or a dense piece of table salt.
These elements are the most important part of the chemical experience. A thread with a wire or a piece of salt will become the basis for the future crystal, the “core”, around which the salt seal will grow. You can choose a piece of table salt close to the shape of a parallelepiped, which can be easily found at the bottom of a half-empty salt shaker.
5. Wooden skewer.
A wooden stick will work too. It is necessary to stir the finished solution.
6. Napkins.
Paper towels are needed to clean up excess liquid. For this purpose, toilet paper or paper handkerchiefs are suitable.
7. Filter paper.
Such paper is a necessary component of almost any chemical experiment.
8. Colorless nail polish.
To add shine to the finished microlith, you need to cover it with transparent nail polish.
All materials for creating a crystal can also be found in craft stores. There are special boxes with ready-made ingredients for growing microliths at home.
Determination of the basis of the crystal
To grow a beautiful crystal it is important to determine the basis:
- if you take a piece of salt as a basis, the microlite will turn out to be traditional;
- if you take a thread with a wire, you can get unique and original crystal shapes;
- if you just take a thread and lower it into the finished solution so that it floats freely in it, without touching the bottom and walls of the container, you get an elongated microlith.
Following step by step instructions, you can get the original microlite grown at home:
To make the crystal grow faster, you can cheat and add a new solution saturated with salt once a week. So it will form much faster and will be larger in size. Microlite can grow perfectly unusual shape- grow on an object (wire or piece of salt) in different directions. This is the beauty of homemade crystal. A properly grown crystal will have clearly visible edges and protrusions.
Store the finished solution in a cool place where there are no drafts. You should not choose a bathroom with high humidity for the “home” of the container. It is better to place the microlite on a windowsill with the window closed. Do not expose the crystal to sudden impacts - no need to shake, tilt and push the container. It is important to remember that the crystal we grow is very fragile and brittle, and any mechanical impact on it can lead to unpleasant consequences for growth.
If you want experiment with the structure and color of the microlite you should pay attention to the following components:
- copper sulphate, which will make the crystal deep blue;
- sea salt dyed with food coloring;
- colored varnish instead of transparent to cover the crystal.
Experimenting with growing crystals from salt at home is interesting and exciting, especially if you control the process of chemical experiment yourself. A hand-made microlith will surely bring a lot of positive emotions, and the waiting time will definitely justify itself.
Video
Have you ever seen crystals? If the answer is yes, then you will not deny that this is an unusually interesting sight. The crystals shimmer so beautifully sunbeams, and their faces often form amazing patterns. Do you know that they can be created not only by nature, but also by people? The question is, how to grow a crystal at home?
What is a crystal?
It should be remembered that a crystal is a loose concept. There are single crystals and polycrystals. Here you can do without complex scientific definitions. Examples of single crystals are diamonds, topazes, sapphires, emeralds and other precious stones that are inserted into jewelry. And the definition of "polycrystal" speaks for itself. These are several intergrown single crystals. All these varieties of crystal are quite easy to grow at home. Now you will learn how to create a single crystal.
How to grow a single crystal from salt?
Please note that this process will take more than one week, because such a crystal grows very slowly. Many, having heard the phrase “from salt”, immediately draw in their imagination a small grain from a bag of table salt. Of course, sodium chloride can be made into a crystal, and it is most often used for this purpose. But as a result, it will turn out colorless, almost transparent. If this is what you are striving for, please grow a crystal from table salt. But you can make it green, and blue, etc., you just need to take other salts. So, green crystals are formed if copper chloride or nickel sulfate is used. A blue crystal will be obtained from copper (II) sulfate. There are also other color options.
What you need for the experiment:
- Clean container (preferably a jar or saucepan)
- Selected salt
- A stick to stir the solution
- Filter paper
- Colorless varnish
- Button or properly developed salt crystal (for "seed")
- Thread
Progress
1. First you need to prepare a saturated solution of the selected salt. Pour it into a pot of water (preferably distilled). Add and stir the salt until it no longer dissolves. Then remove excess salt with filter paper.
2. Distilled water can be made by yourself. To do this, take ordinary water and put it in a saucepan on fire, covering it with a cone-shaped lid. Pour the steam collected as a result of boiling on the inside of the lid into a separate container. This will be distilled water.
3. Then you should make a "seed", which will be a kind of "embryo" of the crystal. After all, as you know, not a single object appears from nowhere. If the choice fell on a button, then it is necessary to soak it in a saturated salt solution, and then dry it. If you prefer a crystal, then when choosing it, you need to consider the following:
- Sizes (approximately with the same button)
- No damage (scratches, broken edges, etc.)
4. That's it, the "seed" is ready. Now tie it to a thread and lower it into a jar of saturated solution.
5. Then put the container with the solution and the "seed" in a place with a constant temperature. Now it remains only to wait. The crystal will begin to grow somewhere in 3 days.
It is recommended to update the solution every week according to the above scheme. When the crystal reaches the desired size, pull it out and dry it, and then smear it with a colorless varnish (this is necessary so that the fruit of the work shines beautifully and is protected from scratches).
You can make a complex single crystal. To do this, when the size increases to about 2 cm, lower the crystal into a saturated solution of another salt. Change the chemical medium every 2 weeks. It is recommended to use as many salt solutions as possible. If the resulting crystal is cut with a jigsaw, you will see that the colored layers replace each other.
It will take approximately 3-4 months to create a single crystal of average volume. The larger the desired size, the longer the growing period. A polycrystal can be made in a matter of minutes, but this will be discussed perhaps another time.
Happy growing salt crystals!
An unusual experiment on growing crystals from salt can be done with children. This process is completely safe, as only salt and water is used and no additional reagents are required. Making such a craft with your own hands is quite simple, but you need to consider a few rules.
1 How to grow a crystal from salt - preparing the tool and material
Before you start making crafts, prepare necessary tools and determine the location for the container. The maturation process of the product will take some time, while the dishes cannot be moved and tilted.
- The main component for the formation of a crystal is salt. To get a smooth and transparent surface on the craft, use sea salt. It does not have impurities and small debris, like table salt.
- Crystal formation will occur in water. It should also be well cleaned of impurities. It is best to pour distilled water or boil the liquid and filter.
- The utensils for the experiment should not be metal. Since it can oxidize due to the action of saline. The volume of the growing dish does not matter and is only limited by the size of the desired crystal.
- Keep the container free of debris and debris. They will prevent the growth of salt on the main crystal. Therefore, before the experiment, the dishes should be thoroughly washed and dried.
- As a base, you can use a thread, fluffy wire, dried twigs or a large piece of salt.
- In addition, you will need: a wooden spoon for stirring, a piece of gauze or a bandage, paper towels, colorless nail polish, a saucepan and a pencil.
2 How to grow a salt crystal with many facets
The initial stage of the experiment involves boiling the liquid. Therefore, help the children warm the liquid so that they do not burn themselves.
- Prepare 120 ml. purified or distilled water. Pour it into a saucepan, put on the stove and bring to a boil.
- Decide on the type of salt to form the crystal. So with the help of ordinary table salt, the craft is formed within a few days, sea salt forms a crystal in 1-2 days, and with iodized salt you will have to wait a very long time for the growth of the product.
- Prepare a saturated salt solution. You can understand its readiness by grains that could not dissolve in water. To do this, add salt to warm water and stir the solution thoroughly. First, add half a glass of salt. If the water is clear without grains, then add another quarter cup.
- Pour the solution into a dry and clean container. Make sure that the sediment stays in the pot, otherwise it will fall to the bottom of the jar, and will reduce the growth of the main crystal.
- At this stage, a dye can be added to change the color of the crystal. But do not add too much of it, as in large volumes the tool will make the craft brittle.
- Prepare the thread for the warp. It is desirable that it be thick with a rough surface. Tie it to a pencil or a long skewer. Their size should be larger than the diameter of the container for growing a crystal and with edges for stability.
- Measure the desired length of thread and cut it. Do not let it touch the bottom of the container.
- Position the pencil on top of the container. Make sure that the thread does not stick to the walls of the jar.
- Place the brine container on a flat surface. If you want to grow a crystal with large branches, then keep the liquid with the thread in a warm place. To form a crystal with smooth surfaces, put the container in the cold.
- Now you just have to watch the growth of the crystal.
3 How to grow one big crystal from salt
To get a large crystal with smooth edges after the experiment, it is necessary to use a slightly different technology.
- Prepare a concentrated salt solution as in the previous paragraph. Pour it into a container. But for this growing method, choose a flat and wide container. So a large crystal will not be able to connect with the rest, smaller parts.
- Leave the container with the solution for 2 days for the formation of small crystals. Then pour out the water and choose the most suitable piece for growing.
- Tie a small crystal to the fishing line. AT this case it is necessary to use a smooth thread or thin wire (fishing line) so that salt grains cannot be fixed on it.
- Prepare a saturated salt solution again. But this time, do not bring the water to a boil, but only warm it to room temperature.
- Lower the crystal on the fishing line into the prepared container and pour the saline solution in a thin stream. Secure the fishing line to the surface of the container with a pencil. In this case, the crystal should be located in the center of the container.
- Growing a crystal in this way will take much longer than the previous option. Therefore, every two weeks, prepare a new salt solution and be sure to filter it before pouring it into the container.
- When the crystals have grown to the desired size, remove them from the liquid, dry them and be sure to cover them with a thick layer of colorless nail polish. It will not allow water to evaporate, which will make the craft more durable for a long period.
It is very easy and safe to conduct an experiment on growing a crystal from salt at home. But to obtain the desired effect, strictly follow the rules specified in the article and do not forget about the finishing of the product.
Do you like to conduct scientific experiments and want to involve your children in this? Most The best way for this - try to grow a crystal together from ordinary salt, which everyone in the house probably has.
Safety regulations
The experiment is based on the chemical reaction of a saturated salt solution. Both cooking and sea are used almost every day in everyday life, it will not harm you. But still try to work with gloves and a scarf. This will prevent the ingress of foreign objects into the liquid - dust, hair.
If you have unhealed wounds or burrs on your hands, you need to be very careful, as the solution can corrode the skin in damaged areas and cause acute pain.
In order to grow such a crystal at home, you do not need any laboratory equipment. Everything you need is at your fingertips.
Regular salt crystals should have even, large faces
Do not add natural or artificial colors. This makes no sense: the salt crystal will still grow colorless.
How to grow a crystal
So, water and salt will act as reagents in the experiment, and the equipment will be:
Note! Jars or glasses must be absolutely clean. Any mote on their inner surface can become the basis for the growth of additional crystals that interfere with the main one.
Solution preparation
The germ of a crystal of sea or common salt
Prepare the embryos on which the crystals will grow. They should be large so that you can easily attach them to a thread.
The easiest way to make a selection is as follows: pour salt into the salt shaker and shake until all the small crystals fall out. Those that did not go through the holes of the salt shaker and remained inside are great for our purpose. Choose the largest of them, with a shape close to a rectangle, with a minimum of deviations.
Try to choose the largest and evenest crystals as the embryo of the future crystal
Fix the selected embryo on a thread, and, in turn, wind it on a stick or pencil so that over time it will be easy to adjust the immersion depth.
Growth
The main and longest phase of the experiment begins. In a saturated solution poured into a second jar, immerse the embryos, wrap the container with something warm so that the liquid cools more slowly.
If the solution was sufficiently saturated and clean, the embryos will increase slightly in a day. Otherwise, they will dissolve.
Now cover the top of the jar with paper to avoid dirt and dust, and leave for 3-4 days. Water will gradually evaporate, and salt will precipitate, growing on the embryo and ensuring the growth of crystals.
It is at this stage that mistakes made in the preparation process may appear. For example, you could incorrectly fasten a loop of thread on a crystal, and it will simply grow into the middle. To avoid this, fasten the embryo not in a knot, but in a thread loop, both ends of which are brought out. After the growth process is over, pull the ends of the loop one by one to loosen the clamp, and remove the thread.
You can set any shape to the crystal during the growth period
If you want to grow a crystal quickly, take it out of the container after a few days. Over time, it should already increase in size. Prepare a new saturated salt solution and lower the crystal there again. Some experts advise simply adding the required amount of salt to the jar and mix thoroughly.
How to make a crystal at home (video)
As you can see, growing a crystal is not that difficult. The main thing is to adhere to the technology and follow the recommendations. Although this process is not a quick one, in the end you will get beautiful souvenirs that can be used as decoration or a gift. Tell us in the comments about your experience and what difficulties you faced. Good luck!
Growing crystals at home is a very long, laborious and painstaking process, but it is very exciting and definitely worth the time spent. This experience is very popular with children, and most of the methods below are completely safe. So, consider the main ways to grow crystals at home.
How to grow a crystal from sugar at home
It is best to start your experiments on growing crystals at home with the most interesting and enjoyable ones. The easiest way to grow a crystal is from sugar, and if you do this experiment with children, they will be able to taste the fruits of their creativity at the end of the process.
In order to grow a crystal from sugar, we will need:
- 2 glasses of water;
- 5 glasses of granulated sugar;
- wooden skewers;
- paper;
- small saucepan;
- several clear glasses.
The process of making a crystal begins with the manufacture of sugar syrup. To do this, take 1/4 cup of water and two tablespoons of sugar. Mix, bring on fire until syrup is obtained. Dip a wooden skewer into the syrup and sprinkle with a little sugar. The more evenly the skewer is sprinkled, the more ideal and beautiful the crystal will come out. In a similar way, we make the required number of blanks and leave them to dry completely, for example, overnight.
Some time has passed, our skewers have dried out and now we can move on to the next part of the experience. Pour 2 cups of water into a saucepan and pour 2.5 cups of sugar. On low heat, stirring constantly, turn our mixture into a sugar syrup. Stirring must be carried out carefully, until the sugar is completely dissolved! Add the remaining 2.5 cups of sugar and also, until completely dissolved, cook the syrup. After that, leave the syrup to cool slightly, this will take approximately 15-20 minutes. This time we continue to prepare blanks from skewers, the basis for our future crystal. We cut paper circles a little larger than the diameter of our glasses and pierce the resulting circles with chopsticks. The main thing is that the paper is firmly fixed on the skewer. The paper will act as the holder and lid for the glass.
Pour the cooled, but still hot syrup into glasses. At this stage, a little food coloring can be added to the syrup, then the crystal will eventually turn out to be colored. We lower our blank (a stick with a circle of paper) into the glass and leave it alone until the crystal ripens. It is important not to touch the walls and bottom! Well, we do the same with all the remaining blanks.
It will take about a week to grow a crystal. This is a very interesting and exciting process that children really like. Every day the crystal grows and takes on its individual shape. Some crystals grow faster, some slower, but the bulk matures in exactly 7 days. The resulting sugar crystal is very good to use with the whole family at a home tea party or just nibble in moments of blues! So, entertaining chemistry is not only interesting, but also tasty;).
How to grow a crystal from salt at home
Growing a crystal from salt at home is a fairly simple process, but it requires patience and care. However, the result of the experiment exceeds all expectations. We will need:
- pure water;
- pot;
- 2 glass jars;
- salt;
- strong thread.
We heat water in a saucepan, we heat it very much, and do not bring it to a boil, the experiment will not work in boiling water. After heating the water, we gradually begin to pour salt into it, stirring constantly until the portion of salt is completely dissolved. Then add more salt, stir until dissolved. And so on until the salt ceases to dissolve. Pour the resulting saturated saline solution into a jar and let it stand well for a day. The next day we will see a lot of small crystals of settled salt in the jar. We choose the most beautiful and largest of them, carefully take it out and tie it to a thread. Carefully pour the solution into an empty jar, making sure that the settled crystals do not fall into a new vessel. Then we lower the crystal on a thread into a filtered saline solution and stock up on patience. After 2-3 days you will notice an increase in the crystal, this growth will continue for some time until the end of growth. After you notice that the crystal has stopped growing, you can either end the experiment if you are satisfied with the result, or prepare another saturated saline solution, as we did above, and lower our crystal there. By the way, if you often change the salt solution, then the growth of the crystal will be faster.
It is very important not to cool the solution on purpose and not to shake it, in this case crystals of an imperfect shape are obtained. Also, do not add any dyes, the crystal will not be colored, and the experiment will be ruined.
How to grow a crystal from copper sulfate at home
Growing crystals from copper sulphate at home is already the next level of complexity, which requires compliance with safety requirements and can only be performed by children under adult supervision.
For the experiment we need:
- water, preferably distilled;
- glass jar;
- copper salt (copper sulfate or copper sulfate, which can be bought at a gardening store).
Before buying, be sure to consider the substance, it should be a bright blue homogeneous powder. In the presence of lumps and green blotches, it is better to refuse the purchase. It will go to summer residents on the farm, but we, novice chemists, will not.
So, the correct vitriol is purchased. Pour about 100 grams of powder into a glass jar and pour a little hot water, stirring constantly. We must get a saturated solution in which the copper salt can no longer dissolve. Filter the solution and put it in the refrigerator. The next day at the bottom we will find many crystals. We select a couple of the largest and most beautiful and place them in a container with a filtered solution. Before that, we act with crystals in the same way as in the previous experiment with table salt, namely, we fix it on a thread and lower it into a jar. We cover the vessel with thin paper and stock up on patience. Growing a crystal from copper sulfate takes several weeks. After the formation of the crystal is completed, it must be carefully removed, rinsed with cold running water and coated with colorless nail polish.
Ordinary table salt can be turned into an interesting art object, the process of creating which will be exciting for children and adults. Not to be missed unique opportunity, without leaving home, observe one of the natural phenomena - the formation of crystals.
Required fixtures and materials
We carefully prepare everything you need to grow a crystal from salt. Everyone in the house will always have everything you need for this work. It has been noticed that a larger crystal grows in a larger capacity, but in this case a lot of salt will be needed:
- We take coarse and clean salt. Impurities in it are not permissible, as they will prevent the formation of crystals of the correct shape. You can use sea salt, despite the complex chemical composition.
- It is better to use filtered or distilled water.
- 2 containers: made of glass to observe the process and to heat water on fire.
- Stick (pencil, ruler, etc.).
- Thread or thin copper wire.
- Funnel.
- Filter paper (gauze, cotton wool) is used to filter the solution.
- Napkins.
Growing preparation
The higher the temperature, the more the substance dissolves in water. A seed is added to the resulting supersaturated solution, and upon cooling, the molecules adhere to it. Growth begins, depending on how much of the substance dissolved at high temperature and how much “precipitated” when it was lowered, for example: 2 g of sodium chloride compared to 50 g of copper sulfate.
Unlike other substances, the solubility of table salt is very high; when cooled, the sticking of the substance is minimal, but over time, more and more molecules are added and salt objects increase in size.
The instruction on how to make crystals from salt is quite simple and does not present any difficulty. We bring the water to 80-90 oC, remove from the stove. Gradually add salt (38 g per 100 g of water), constantly stirring, until it begins to dissolve more.
It turns out a supersaturated solution, the salt from which will easily crystallize when it is cooled. Lowering the temperature slowly gives the best result.
We place filter paper in the funnel and pour the contents into a glass container after 30-60 minutes. As a result, we remove all small crystals that can interfere with the main process, and get rid of impurities.
We make a notch on a stick for a more stable fixation. We tie one end of the thread (wire) to the notch. At the other end, we tie a knot or hang any small object on which the molecules will build up.
We lower the thread into the middle of the container. Can be made from wire complex shapes, which will be overgrown with crystals. In the photo of salt crystals, you can see a variety of different shapes, depending on the matrix seed.
crystallization process
We cover the top of the jar with a napkin: no foreign impurities should get into the water solution. We place it on permanent place without temperature fluctuations and try not to move or shake. Maintaining the same level in the liquid, periodically carefully add a saturated solution of sodium chloride.
Visible shifts are soon observed and after a month a small polycrystal can be seen. The longer it is in solution, the larger it becomes.
At the air-water interface, crystallization occurs more intensively. Variations in the movement of such a seed makes it possible to obtain salt "products" fairly quickly.
And how to make a single crystal from salt? Is it possible to? Experts say that a crystal close to the natural rectangular shape can be obtained quite simply.
In a package of table salt, we select a large crystal and put it on the bottom of the prepared saline solution. Sea salt, as a larger one, is even more suitable for these purposes. To speed up the process, it is transferred to a new saturated solution after a few days. They follow the shape and periodically scrape off excess sticking, trying to keep the shape.
You can see a single crystal much faster: individual crumb crystals appear at the border of air and water in a jar. Transparent, regular shape, they are clearly visible under a magnifying glass.
Coloring and storage
The resulting crystals are dried and coated with a colorless varnish for better preservation. Paint them with different color varnishes.
They will look aesthetically pleasing on a special podium, while being protected from destruction. No dyes are added to the saline solution, as they can only interfere with crystal formation.
The question is often asked: "Is it possible to get a crystal from salt in 1 day?". We hope that the above has already been answered. However, experiment, try, but remember how much time nature spends on growing its miracle!
Photo of salt crystals
Crystals look attractive, eye-catching and mesmerizing. Gems used in jewelry business, are crystals of minerals.
Crystals of natural mineralsThanks to modern technologies people have learned to grow such beauty on their own, and synthetic gems are difficult to distinguish from natural crystals. Table salt is also able to grow in the form of crystals. To verify this, consider ways to grow salt at home.
Materials for growing salt
To grow a salt crystal, prepare the appropriate solution and special dishes. The process itself will take several months, so you have to be patient. The growth of a salt crystal is affected by air humidity, room temperature, saturation of the solution, and the type of salt used. To successfully complete the experiment, you will need the following components:
A container made of a material that is not capable of oxidizing in salt water (a glass jar will do);
Table or sea salt;
Funnel;
Copper wire or thread;
Napkins or filter paper;
Wooden or glass rod for stirring the solution.
salt crystals
salt growing process
- Pour distilled water into a container and add salt. Salt must be poured until mixing becomes difficult.
- Put the resulting mixture in a water bath and wait until the salt is completely dissolved in water.
- Strain the solution through filter paper or a napkin into a prepared jar.
- Tie a small crystal of salt to the thread and lower it into the chilled liquid. Tie the second end of the thread to a stick, the length of which is greater than the diameter of the neck of the jar. The stick will help fix the thread with the crystal, which is constantly in limbo.
- Cover the resulting structure with a piece of cloth or a napkin, then put it in a place with the least temperature fluctuations.
- During the experiment, you can not touch the jar, move and pull the thread with the crystal. The structure must be stationary.
- After 4 weeks, the crystal will increase to the size of a bean, after 8 weeks, the stone will reach a diameter of 4 cm. If a larger salt crystal is needed, you will have to wait a few more months.
- Carefully remove the finished crystal of the desired diameter from the jar and wipe it with a napkin. To protect the crystal from external damage, it is recommended to coat the stone with clear nail polish.
- After the varnish has dried, you can admire the salt crystal.
A blue crystal is grown in the same way - for this, blue food coloring is added to the solution.
Blue salt crystals
How to grow a white crystal from sea salt
To create a white crystal from sea salt, you will need the materials described above. The process of growing salt is as follows.
- In a glass container, prepare a saturated saline solution. Add 40 g of sea salt to 100 g of hot water and stir the solution until the salt dissolves.
- Cool the resulting liquid, then filter.
- Let the solution stand for several hours, then filter again.
- Attach a large grain of sea salt to a copper wire and lower it into a container with a solution so that the crystal does not touch the bottom.
- Cover the jar with a sheet of paper so that foreign objects and dust do not get inside.
- After two days, carefully pull out the wire with the crystal, move it to another vessel and pour the solution into it.
- The liquid is filtered once a week.
- After a few days, the growth of the salt crystal will become noticeable. You can grow a stone until a crystal of the required diameter is formed.
The grown stone from salt is characterized by increased brittleness and fragility, so you should not hold it in your hands for no reason. After varnishing, it is recommended to store the crystal in a closed container so as not to damage it. Using the methods described, you can grow a lot of salt crystals of different colors at home, using food colors in bright colors when preparing the solution. To find out what other crystals you can grow at home, click