Crystals & Facts
If you've ever worn a diamond ring, seen a snowflake or used salt, then you already are familiar with crystals--all of these items are or contain crystals. Crystals all form using the same basic process, and they are incredibly common in the environment. Although people make some crystals synthetically, crystals also occur in nature, and anyone can grow them at home. Appreciating these simple, beautiful structures begins with learning some basic crystal facts.
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Crystal Defined
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According to Kiwi Web, tiny particles called atoms come together to form larger structures called molecules. Sometimes molecules come together in a rather haphazard way, but occasionally, they come together to form a repeating pattern. A crystal is a solid made up of these repeating molecules.
Crystallization
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Kiwi Web explains how crystals form. When molecules of a substance (a solute) are suspended in a liquid (a solvent), they get attracted to each other if they get close enough. This happens because all atoms naturally have an electrical charge--negatively charged atoms are attracted to positively charged atoms and vise versa. The molecules keep coming together until they have formed a clump that is too heavy and big to stay inside the liquid. At this point, the clump has enough repeating molecules to qualify as a crystal. The crystal falls "out of solution," which basically just means that it separates from the liquid that surrounds it. More molecules of the solute get attracted to the original crystal form on top of the original crystal, and the crystal keeps on growing until there are about the same number of solute molecules in the crystals as there are in the solvent. This is "unassisted" crystal formation. Occasionally, the solute molecules form on the surface of something (e.g., a rock). This makes it easier for the crystal to form, so scientists call this "assisted" crystal formation. Scientists call the entire process of forming a crystal crystallization.
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Uses
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Depending on the substance that makes them up, people use crystals in everything from health to manufacturing. For example, people season food with sodium chloride (table salt)--if people didn't eat these crystals, they'd become sick. Engineers put diamond crystals on saws and other bladed machinery because the diamonds are very hard and improve the cutting ability of the machine. Plastic surgeons even use crystals on tools used for dermabrasion (rubbing off of the skin), which is supposed to improve the appearance of skin.
Chemical Structure
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Although all crystals form in the same way, the way each crystal looks depends on the chemical structure of the substance from which it is made. The University of Michigan states that crystals may be cubic, tetragonal, orthorhombic, hexagonal or monoclinic in shape. Chemical structure also influences color.
Crystals and Beliefs
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People attach beliefs to crystals. For example, as Crystal Vaastu points out, some people believe that crystals contain energy because they are formed by Mother Nature, and that people can use these energy fields to correct personal and health problems.
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References
- Photo Credit crystal image by Daughterson from Fotolia.com
