Crystals

ClearTouch is a line of screen protectors made by BoxWave Corp. and available for handheld devices of all types, including smartphones, tablets, media players, gaming devices, e-readers, GPS units and…

Issues with an Acer Crystal Eye webcam freezing can be attributed to a hardware fault, a software driver issue or another conflict. To successfully troubleshoot the problem, reboot the machine,…

Now known as "Crystal Dashboard," Crystal Xcelsius uses data from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to create visual presentations of the data. A free, 30-day trial of the program is available.…

Crystal chandeliers have symbolized wealth and prosperity for centuries. Many of the world's architectural gems are adorned with crystal chandeliers. Perhaps your dining room isn't big enough to house…

In the thrilling PC game, “Nancy Drew: Legend of the Crystal Skull,” Nancy Drew and Bess Marvin are trying to solve a case of a misplaced relic. Bruno Bolet’s crystal skull goes…

Handmade ballet flats can provide an individual and completely out-of-the-ordinary shoe. Crystals added to a handmade shoe enhance the basic design. Ballet shoes aren't difficult to make, but do…

Crystals are solids whose constituent parts are arranged in a repetitive, three-dimensional pattern. Atoms, ions and molecules can form basic shapes of crystal systems. Crystals also have four…

Chandeliers date back to medieval times, and were hung to light spacious areas. During those times, they were often formed in the shape of a cross. Today, a beautiful vintage crystal chandelier can…

Baccarat crystal, named for the French town in which it was first created in the mid 1700s, is famous for its variety of high-quality crystal items. Though they are particularly beautiful, these items…

"Dungeons and Dragons Online" (or DDO) offers random treasure drops that may be guild-restricted. Any player belonging to a guild may equip these items and use them with their base stats,…

Sapphire crystals have a blue hue and appear in many pieces of jewelry. They are often seen as the centerpiece of a ring or necklace charm. Because this type of jewelry is often inexpensive and…

A crystal chandelier can transform a plain, lifeless room into one filled with a sparkling, sophisticated focal point. Candle-lit chandeliers were first used before the 16th century, with the earliest…

Crystal Reports, by Seagate Software, is a report writing and generating software application that runs within the Microsoft Windows environment. Crystal Reports allows the user to create or alter an…

Godinger and Fifth Avenue Ltd. are both American companies that specialize in making a variety of products out of crystal glass. Whether you're looking for bowls and glassware, sculptures or vases,…

Lalique crystal, a specific type of glassware named for its creator, Renee Lalique, is an art nouveau style of cut glass or crystal in shapes of animals or flowers. Sea horses and starfish, for…

Crystal candlesticks, with their sparkling elegance and timeless beauty, add romance and sophistication to your dining room table. When cleaned and polished, crystal candlesticks shine in the gentle…

Crystals are one of the better choices if you want to design radio receivers that have exceptional tuning characteristics. Bandpass filters have a high Q, the quality factor that defines the filters…

A large crystal chandelier may create a bold and dramatic look. Before hanging the chandelier, you must look at the specifications, including the height of the chandelier in the room and its overall…

Most Pokemon games require you to obtain eight Gym Badges in order to complete the game, but the second generation -- including "Pokemon Crystal" -- has 16 badges. The first eight are…

Available naturally and artificially and found in countless locations around the world, crystals come in a variety of shapes and colors. Crystals are formed from natural elements such as sulfur and…

Dating back many centuries, amethyst crystals emanate majestic shades of purple. Amethyst crystals are common on jewelry, including royal jewels from England and ancient Egypt. Like all crystals,…

An American creation, Fostoria crystal was manufactured for nearly 100 years, originally in Ohio and then West Virginia. The crystal is now a collectible item, so caring for it properly ensures its…

Hobby kits provide the opportunity to satisfy the curiosity of budding scientists through building machines. As part of the procedure for assembling a crystal microphone, you must perform a soldering…

"Pokemon Crystal" was released for the Game Boy Color in 2000. In the quest to become the greatest Pokemon trainer of all time, your travels take you to two different continents: Johto and…

Advertisements for the plant gel Crystal Soil feature houseplants living in clear containers filled with nothing but a colorful gelatinous substance as its support system. The Crystal Soil Web site…

If you have worked with plaster of Paris or clay, you have experience with monoclinic crystals. Monoclinic crystals have a unit cell resembling a leaning tower. The base of the cell is rectangular,…

"Crystal Monsters" is a turn-based monster fighting game by Gameloft for the Nintendo DSi handheld video game console. The game closely resembles the style of Nintendo's "Pokemon" series of games in…

Would you know if the art deco vase your grandmother left you were merely a decorative daisy holder, or a rare, Val Saint Lambert Belgian crystal that could be worth a small fortune? Val Saint Lambert…

Tucked near the back of the cleaning aisle in your local grocery store are boxes of cleaning product with the label Super Washing Soda Crystal. It may not be a common household name, but the product…

"Crystal Maze" is a puzzle game where you race through levels with your character, Lilly, collecting crystals and fighting off dangerous enemies. Produced by Wild Tangent Games, you can play a demo…

Homeowners who find fungi growing in their refrigerator or freezer may have mold growth. Mold can be a variety of colors and textures. Once this fungi reaches moisture, it can begin to grow. While…

Aerodactyl, a Fossil Pokemon that combines Flying Type and Rock Type abilities, can be found in multiple games in the "Pokemon" series, including "Pokemon Crystal." Trading Pokemon between friends is…

Metals, salts and other naturally occurring minerals have structures that are defined as crystalline. This means that their constituent atoms are highly ordered and have regular, repeating…

Crystals and rhinestones look like gemstones, but are available at more affordable prices. They are used in jewelry and as decorative elements for clothing, shoes, bridal gowns and other fashion…

Because of overuse, dirt or micro-scratches, any crystal object can lose its bright sheen. Cleaning the crystal with soap and water may remove the dirt but does little to remove the micro-scratches…

In "Pokemon Crystal," you must collect eight Gym Badges to enter the Pokemon League. The Plain Badge is the third Gym Badge you will add to your collection. Whitney, the Normal-type Gym Leader of…

When carbon crystallizes underground, the end result is commonly known as a diamond. Diamonds are one of the most valuable minerals on the planet, mainly because their chemical composition makes them…

Adding crystals or rhinestones to an item of clothing is a great way to jazz up some older garments that have seen better days or make a dress extra special. The actual process of sticking the…

Double-terminated crystals are thought to have healing powers because they are able to channel energy in two directions at once. They are considered double-terminated because they have a point at each…

Crystals make up most solids found in nature and vary in size, shape and color. You see small cube-shaped crystals when looking at salt through a magnifying glass or microscope. Some crystals are…

Gypsum is a soft mineral that often appears in white or gray form. The mineral is soft enough that it can be scratched with just a fingernail when in plain gypsum form or when made into plaster for…

Sulfuric acid is a clear, colorless and odorless liquid that is highly corrosive to the touch. Sulfuric acid is the largest chemical compound produced in the world. The United States, alone,…

In the history of chemistry, LeBlanc perfected the process of creating soda crystals, or sodium bicarbonate, from salt crystals, through a series of reactions that start with reacting salt crystals…

While gold and quartz rock may appear different, they do have some things in common. The two are often found together by miners and are even found blended into one another. Both are naturally composed…

Determining the PH level of a substance is an essential skill to learn in order to understand how the substance will interact with others. You can do this with traditional methods, but the Hanna 211…

The zinc-blende or sphalerite structure closely resembles the diamond structure. However, zinc-blende differs from diamond in that it consists of two different types of atoms, while diamond structures…

The Earth's crust is made up of various types of rocks, which are broken down into three categories: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are made from cooled magma or lava. Metamorphic…

Algae is an organism. Just as there are many types of organisms in nature, there are various kinds of algae, as well. Although many forms of algae share common traits such as the fact they all have…

All gases we encounter have some thermal energy, but some have more than others. The energy is due to the movement of gaseous particles, known as Brownian motion. The hotter a gas is, the more…

Hematite is the primary ore that makes iron. It is mined from many varieties of rock. The United States, for example, mines hematite primarily from large deposits in the northern Midwest, near the…

An acid is formed when a molecule dissociates in an aqueous solution to form a positive and a negative ion. The positive ion is called an acid and the negative ion is called a base. The strength of…

The jar test is an experiment that emulates the effectiveness of water treatment. It simulates, on a significantly smaller scale, what occurs during the water treatment process. You can use the…

The scientific field of cymatics addresses the physics of sound waves and is an excellent source for lab or science fair experiments. Classic wave creation techniques and modern technology make it…

Crystals form when substances change from a liquid or gas to a solid, and the molecules of that substance lock together in a regular and repeating pattern. The internal atomic structure of the…

Have you ever passed by a vehicle that seemed to change color right before your eyes? If so, you've likely locked your eyes on what many refer to as "chameleon" or "mystic" paint jobs. These types of…

Selenium (Se) is an element appearing right below sulfur (S) on the periodic table, in group 16 with the atomic number 34. It also shares some similarities with the element sulfur. It was discovered…

A cold front occurs when a mass of cold air replaces a mass of warm air. An air mass, which can stretch for thousands of miles, is composed of air that has gathered together and possesses similar…

There are many kinds of transposition, but dyslexic transposition of letters, words and numbers is among the most common. You do not have to be dyslexic to transpose words. But you may be dyslexic…

Water acts differently, depending on the temperature. As water heats up, molecular movement increases; the molecules bounce off each other and move farther apart. If you put a pint of hot water into…

Cold packs are practical applications of basic chemistry used in the field of medicine on a daily basis. Science students discover a wealth of information about chemical reaction and element…

Crystallography is the study of the unique arrangement of atoms in crystalline solids. Every crystal has a repeating unit cell, which represents the most basic arrangement of atoms. The Bravais…

Due to the fact that air masses with unique characteristics stay together and do not mix with air masses of different characteristics, hot and cold fronts create a variety of weather phenomenon when…

Instant cold packs are an inexpensive source of experiments that science teachers can adapt to nearly any grade level. While elementary students can hypothesize the various uses for an instant source…

Usually an unknown material is a bacteria of some kind. To determine which bacteria it is, there are certain steps to take: isolation of the bacteria; using the Gram stain determine which set of…

Calcite and quartz are minerals associated with many rock types. Calcite dissolves in the presence of acids, but the same does not occur with quartz. Although calcite is widely available around the…

You are checking the stock of chemicals present in your laboratory and come across a bottle that has no legible label. You ask other people using the lab if they know what the bottle contains but get…

Mineralogists use many methods to classify minerals, one of which is symmetry. The elements that make up a mineral are bonded in particular ways into the crystal lattice. The symmetry of a mineral can…

The lattice parameter of a crystal describes the dimensions of the basic building blocks of the crystal. Each building block, or unit cell, consists of atoms arranged in a particular pattern. The…

While taking a college-level microbiology course, your professor may require you to complete a project where you are given an unknown bacteria, and, by running a series of tests, you must identify…

When ice is converted from a liquid to a solid it forms in distinctive crystalline patterns. The growth of ice crystals is a process known as nucleation, and there are four ways in which nucleation…

A compound is any combination of two or more different types of atoms (a molecule is a combination of any two atoms; they do not need to be different). There are several different types of compounds,…

A lattice constant describes the spacing between adjacent unit cells in a crystal structure. The unit cells or building blocks of the crystal are three dimensional and have three linear constants that…

You can crystallize salt at home very easily and inexpensively using items you probably already have around the house. If you are going to demonstrate how crystals are made for a school project, you…

In physics and chemistry, the word crystal is used in reference to any solid in which all atoms are arranged in an orderly manner. The surface structure of crystals are symmetrical. The atoms within a…

While germanium (Ge) is the chemical element number 32, organic germanium is the common name of the germanium compound bis-carboxyethyl germanium sesquioxide, which is found in coal, germanite and…

Quartz and calcite are two common naturally-occurring minerals. In fact, quartz is the second most abundant mineral making up the Earth's crust, whereas calcite is a common component in sedimentary…

A rhombohedral unit cell is a primitive crystallographic building block containing one lattice point. The distorted shape of the rhombohedron makes it difficult to visualize and manipulate. You can…

Many science experiments investigate the differences of hot and cold conditions on different substances or organisms. Complete a hot and cold science experiment in one of the three core scientific…

Many gemstones acquire beauty and identifying characteristics from their crystalline structure. For example, diamonds have a structure known as a cubic lattice, while beryl has a hexagonal lattice.…

Sediments are formed when an outside element such as weather, water, vegetation, age or landscape break down pre-existing rocks or other objects into smaller particles. The process begins with the…

Even in the home, sedimentation occurs on a small scale. Dust settles out of the air and eventually covers floors, furniture and any other exposed surface. If a tea kettle regularly boils hard water,…

The term salt refers to the crystalline compounds that are formed from the neutralization of an acid by a base. Sodium chloride is the most familiar since it is commonly used to flavor food. The…

Brown Algae is a large family of marine life, that consists of roughly 1,500 distinct species. The larger members of the brown algae family provide housing for the oceans small life forms, including…

Hematite can have important uses in society, including its role in the production of iron, which may make it an interesting mineral for geology enthusiasts to identify. The rock was the source of…

A glacier is a large perennial body of ice formed when snow is repeatedly deposited and, over time, turned to ice. Although the vast majority of glacial ice is stored at the poles, glaciers can be…

Making sugar crystals at home is an effective way of getting your preschool child interested in science and basic experiments. Because this experiment includes boiling water, it is important to do…

Sodium chloride (salt) crystals form through a chemical reaction that occurs when a water and salt mixture meets with air and evaporates, causing atoms to form symmetrically in a crystalline solid.…

Tartaric acid is an organic substance that occurs naturally in various plants, fruits and wine. People have used it for many years in different ways. Commercially, the food industry uses it as an…

A crystal is a solid material with an orderly and patterned structure. Although crystals often perform functional duties, such as the use of diamonds in certain power tools or salt in food…

Magma is a mixture of melted crystals, rocks and dissolved gases. It is magma that causes volcanic eruptions. These eruptions can be either explosive or non-explosive. Magma is formed by both wet and…

Crystal users employ certain crystals with great care because they are powerful and should only be used by experienced and knowledgeable practitioners. These powerful crystals allow crystal…

Glaciers are a fascinating topic for many students. What they are, how they form, how they impact the land around them, how icebergs break away from them: These are all questions for earth science…

In 1913, Dutch scientist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes was given the Nobel Prize in physics. This pioneering researcher and teacher had discovered superconductivity: a state where a material offers no…

A crystal is solid state of matter containing an internal arrangement of atoms, molecules or ions that is regular, repeated and geometrically arranged. Crystals can be grouped by the geometrical shape…

Germanium is an elemental, nonmetallic, grayish white solid that is dispersed throughout the Earth's crust. It was discovered in 1886 by chemist Clemens Winkler in Germany. It's primarily found in…

Menthol crystals are formed when peppermint oil is distilled by steam. The resulting crystals are clear and colorless. Menthol crystals can be used to alleviate a variety of aches, pains and other…

According to chemist Leon Gray, iodine crystals were accidentally discovered by pharmacist Bernard Courtois in 1811, as he was trying to make saltpeter. Iodine crystals are vital to humans because the…

Vibrating crystals sound like a new-age gimmick, but they've been used since 1880, when French physicists Jacques and Pierre Curie discovered something called piezoelectricity. When certain hard…

A crystal is formed when particles are packed in a repeating and ordered way. Crystals form in a way similar to stacking blocks. Equal sizes and shapes fit together to determine the structure. To grow…

Today we are going to drink acid, make volcanoes, tranform grapefruits into power plants and melt some metal. This is to demostrate four properties of acids and help high school students understand…

It is possible for kids to grow rock crystals, also known as rock candy, at home. This experiment results in a tasty treat and also is appropriate for a science project for school. Making rock…

Fire requires fuel, oxygen and heat in order to develop and spread. Water gas and charcoal provide the fuel for fires and allow them to grow. The combination of oxygen from the water, gas from the…

Brown algae (kelp) is one of the most efficient iodide accumulators on earth. To obtain iodine from brown algae, first extract the iodide, then oxidize the iodide to iodine. Extracting the iodide…

Growing crystals is a classic science project for young students. Help your children bloom their own crystal gardens with laundry bluing and a few other household items, and make learning about…

Dictionary.com defines crystals as "a solid body having a characteristic internal structure and enclosed by symmetrically arranged plane surfaces, intersecting at definite and characteristic angles."…

Growing sugar crystals is a popular project for children and adults both at home or in school. Sugar crystals, or rock candy, are an easy treat to make yourself with a few household items. You can…

Growing salt crystals is a popular experiment for adults and children. This project will teach you how crystals grow from a liquid solution and uses simple, household items. Salt crystals begin to…

Lugol's iodine (stock solution) consists of 150 mg/mL. Preparation is accomplished by dissolving potassium iodide and iodine in 100 mL of distilled water. The distilled water is necessary to prevent…

There are several middle school-aged science experiments that become indelibly marked in a youth's memory. Among them is the lesson on crystals. If your class is studying crystals, solvents and…

One important aspect of optical light is the state of polarization, or the way in which a single wave of light is restricted in the direction of vibration. A polarization rotator is used to propagate…

William Röentgen discovered X-rays when he accidentally filmed his wife's hand in 1895. X-rays quickly became a staple of the medical field to find broken bones or detecting pneumonia in the…

Crystal stemware can be a challenge to identify, particularly if that stemware is a family heirloom or is an antique. The best way to discover the manufacturer of your stemware is to check with the…

Dichotomous charts---simple taxonomic flow charts used to classify organisms---are used to separate observed organisms based on a variety of factors. Simply put, the flow chart tests every organism…

Old paper is amazing. The way it looks, feels and smells evokes all kinds of great memories. Making regular paper look old is an easy and fun way to add a little extra kick to all of your projects.…

Gold is rarely found in the form that is worn or sculpted. Apart from gold nuggets that contain silver, gold also can be found in quartz, which is a complex mineral structure. Some jewelers opt to…

Aquamarine is a blue variety of beryl. Beryl is a silicate mineral often found in granitic rocks that is usually clear. Trace amounts of iron present during the crystal's growth provide the…

Deposits left by glaciers include rocks, sand, clay and other eroded debris, known as drift. Glacial drift is shed as the glacier picks up large and small rock debris, which is then shed with the…

Freezing water can form crystals. These crystals regularly assume a hexagonal form. Snowflakes, for example, display a seemingly infinite variety of patterns, but all these patterns are variations of…

Protein crystals are frozen in order to better study their structure in science laboratories. Protein crystals are very fragile and freezing them provides more strength and protection while they are…

A druse is the term used for a mineral formation. Specifically, a druse is a mineral that formed with a lot of small crystals across a surface. When a mineral forms this way it is called drusy.…

You can grow crystals using either table salt or Epsom salt, found at most drugstores. Compare the growth rates of both types of salt crystals, and record any differences you observe in the shapes of…

A crystal is a substance that is made of molecules that are arranged in a repeating, three dimensional, regular pattern. Two examples of common crystals that can be found right in your kitchen are…

To a class of first-graders, shimmering crystals can seem almost magical, ensuring that when it comes time for a lesson on crystals, you've got their attention. Knowing how to explain crystals to your…

Making sugar crystals or rock candy is a tried and true, hands-on experiment to teach children about solutions and the processes of evaporation and wicking.

Crystals come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Growing crystals is a simple process that is a good science experiment for students both at home or in the classroom. Due to the nature of crystal…

For any kind of experiment involving alum crystals, it's important to know the exact mass of the crystals to ensure appropriate reactions. It's easy to determine the mass of the alum crystals if you…

A red stone crystal, stone being synonymous with gemstone, is defined through a variety of long-standing scientific rules and classifications. These range from an analysis of its internal structure to…

Geology is a common field of study for seventh graders. Rocks are a core element of the study of geology, so learning where they come from is important for seventh graders who are just being…

Atoms bond during chemical reactions to result in crystal formation. Crystals are defined as a solid state of matter in which atoms are packed together tightly. The distinguishing feature of crystals…

Crystals are formed in nature in a wide variety of colors, structures and sizes. If you are teaching students about geology and crystal formation, it can be helpful to provide a fun and exciting…

Crystals are a grouping of atoms, collected in a particular arrangement. The arrangements of the atoms can vary from cube like, triangular, octagonal to rectangular. The structure of a crystal, as…

Zinc sulfate is a colorless compound. In its crystal form, it is used to add zinc to animal feed, fertilizers and agriculture sprays. The hydrated version is used as electrolyte for zinc plating and…

Gypsum (Ca[SO4] • 2H2O) is a soft mineral found around the world that is used in a range of industries including the agricultural and construction industries.

Boric acid is one of the main ingredients in Borax, a multipurpose cleaner that comes in a powdered form. When borax is mixed with boiling water and left overnight, a chemical reaction occurs that…

It is commonly said that no two snowflakes are alike, and due to the complexity and number of factors involved in their creation, this may be true--the factors governing snowflake formation include…

The natural formation of crystals happens in a number of ways, from condensation to temperature change or a change in pH levels. To form crystals in a lab, the workers only have to duplicate the…

Kitchen countertops constructed out of stone such as granite and marble continue to be some of the most enduring in the industry. Despite the many similarities between granite and marble countertops,…

Ionic is a term that might tickle memories of your high school chemistry class. Ionic bonds are formed at the molecular level and exist between anions and cations. Ionic bonds are considered to be…

Muscovite is a widely distributed mineral that belongs to the mica group and comes in a variety of colors. Used since the Middle Ages, muscovite is a commercially viable mineral with applications…

Determining which scope should be mounted on your rifle will depend on its use, caliber and whether it will be hiked through rugged terrain or just taken to a hunting stand. A rifle of a large caliber…

Vanadium is a metallic element that is found in several different minerals such as vanadite, carnotite and patronite. This element's name originates from Scandinavia, where it is derived from the name…

Every continent has glaciers, but most of the world's glaciers are found on the North Pole, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Some glaciers are thousands of years old, according to…

On the face of it, this seems the easiest task imaginable. Just taste the mixture: salt tastes salty and sugar is sweet. However, if you follow this route, you would have to consume all the mixture to…

"Crystals are solids that form by a regular repeated pattern of molecules connecting together," according to the website, Kiwi Web. Creating crystals, J. Bohm writes in his paper, "The History of…

Tartaric acid is a diprotic organic acid that can be found in many plants like bananas, grapes, and tamarinds. The most prevalent use of tartaric acid is in the making of wine. Tartaric acid adds to…

An elastic crystal (or anisotropic crystal) is a substance whose properties are directionally dependent. Anistropic crystals are categorized into biaxial and uniaxial, depending on whether they have…

According to geology.com, hematite is the most common form of iron ore or iron oxide, which is classified as a chemical sedimentary rock form. The chemical expression for hematite is Fe2O3. Both the…

Many crystals exhibit fluorescence when exposed to ultraviolet radiation from a source like a black light. Testing crystals with a black light, in combination with other tests, can help determine the…

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…

Tourmaline is a mineral that contains aluminum, magnesium, iron, lithium, sodium and calcium. Tourmaline is both a hydroxide of aluminum and a complex borosilicate. This crystal silicate material is…

Crystals appear in many different forms in nature, including diamonds, salt and even snowflakes. The structure of the molecular bonds in crystals determines their shape and how they are formed. While…

Natural crystals are created from hot gases or molten rocks, and they come in a variety of shapes and colors. Throughout time, mystical and even healing powers have been ascribed to crystals. Some are…

Minerals form naturally and have both an organized structure and homogenous chemical compositions. Ice is not commonly thought of as a mineral, but in its most natural form, ice is a mineral.

Growing sugar crystals in tap water is an time-honored science classroom experiment. Growing sugar crystals follows the same method used for growing rock candy, that is providing an environment (still…

Hanna pH checker electrodes are professional-level, laboratory-grade bench-type pH meters used in scientific, engineering or other industrial applications for the checking and modification of pH…

Crystals are solid material composed of atoms arranged in various geometrical patterns. Their shape is an external expression of their internal atomic structure. They work in harmony with vibrations…

Idocrase, or vesuvianite, is a tetragonal crystal with a square cross-section that is perpendicular to the axis. This is an uncommon crystal shape. The rare beauty of idocrase is appealing to mineral…

If you have an unknown solution that you want to identify, explore physical properties of this solution. One of the most significant physical properties is the freezing point. The freezing point is…

According to Princeton University's WordNet database, a geode is a hollow rock or nodule with the cavity usually lined with crystals. Although a majority of these crystals are quartz, some may contain…

Making sugar crystals, or rock candy, is one of the most exciting (and tasty) science experiments a child can do. The child learns how small crystals form into a larger one as the molecules line up…

When sugar is mixed with water it creates a homogeneous solution, meaning you can't see the individual particles, unlike when you mix sand with water. The sugar water is a solution because no chemical…

Discovered in 1824, vermiculite is a mineral primarily made of hydrated iron, silica and magnesium that expands when heated. It is found around the world, and has industrial purposes ranging from…

You have heard the expression that "no two snowflakes are alike." While all snowflakes begin their formation the same way, they do wind up looking different due to factors like temperature, the amount…

Winter snow, falling to earth and blanketing the ground, creates one of nature's most magical events. Snow consists of single ice crystals, or multiple ice crystals which have combined in the…

Home-grown crystals can be grown in solutions made from water. Chemical substances are dissolved in the water, which then either evaporates or cools. The substance then begins to crystallize. While…

Growing salt crystals is an interesting classroom experiment you can use in schools and at home to teach students about saltwater evaporation and the formation of rock crystals in caverns. Once you've…

Iodine is found in many compounds today and also occurs naturally in seaweed. You can extract small amounts of iodine crystals from seaweed in the laboratory as a chemistry experiment. This method…

The technique of demonstrating how to get crystals to form on coal has fascinated children for years. A classic method involving mercurochrome and iodine can still be used if proper safety methods are…

Crystals form when a solute is mixed with a solvent past the solute's saturation point. When the surface area ratio of solvent molecules to solute molecules, moving past each other in solution, passes…

Growing crystals is a fun and educational project that kids enjoy. As the water from the solution evaporates with the help of ammonia, the salt crystals begin to form around the particles left by the…

The Crystal Apple Awards are given to teachers, administrators and support staff who have provided service above and beyond the call of duty for students. Typically bestowed upon kindergarten through…

Growing crystals is an excellent science experiment for children ages 8 to 12. It teaches children about saturation as well as how crystals form. The project can be completed in one day, but the…

Sodium carbonate is one of the basic, industrial chemicals used today. Used in photographic flashes, and even more commonly in the making of glass where sodium carbonate is referred to simply as soda.…

Potassium iodide (KI) crystals are a white salt and the most commercially important compound of iodine. Potassium iodide is commonly used as a dietary source of iodine in animal feed and iodized salt.…

Chemical reactions that result in increased heat or cold are called exothermic or endothermic, respectively. These reactions produce results that are more extreme in temperature than any starting…

Crystals are found in many places. They're sold in nature shops; they're studied and created in scientific laboratories. A crystal can be evenly or oddly shaped. It can be transparent. What defines…

Crystals are the molecular arrangements which form minerals. A crystal has a polyhedral form, making it a geometric solid. Crystals are studied based on the shapes making up their faces, sides and…

The atoms of a mineral form geometric shapes, or crystals. Minerals are defined by two things: their chemical composition and the manner in which they crystallize. So crystals are composed of…

Bacteria are all around us--and all over us. It is easy to culture a bacterial sample and purify it. However, it is decidedly less easy to identify the bacteria once they are grown. Following a series…

A crystal is a solid arrangement of atoms or molecules in a specific pattern. There are a variety of ways to make crystals, but one of easiest is to use a heated saturated solution. The solution is…

Gemstones are rare minerals, rock or organic material that can be found all over the world in different types of environments. Many gemstones are cut into shapes, which then become gems. This is why…

Crystals are among the Earth's most beautiful creations, appearing in the patterns of snowflakes, the ice in your freezer or stones in your backyard. Quartz crystals are used in electronics like…

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Distilled water works best. Stir in the salt. Uniodized salt works best. Keep stirring (in the boiling water) until the salt completely dissolves. Add in more salt and…

Crystalline solids are defined by a regular arrangement of atomic or molecular collections called unit cells. Energetic tendencies due to electrical interactions serve to lower the total potential…

A mixture of sugar and water is known as a solution. The sugar turns into a liquid but no chemical change has occurred, meaning the two substances making up the mixture can be separated. When…

When you come across new vocabulary in school, it can be a challenge to learn the difference between words that sound similar like "homogeneous" and "heterogeneous." Terms that you learn in science…

Basic to computers, time pieces, radio and sonar, oscillator circuits create the resonant carrier wave or clock signal of the system. Crystal oscillators accomplish this with low power consumption and…

Crystal is more commonly perceived as glass. The inclusion of 24 percent or more of lead oxide is what makes crystal what it is. The glass is composed of three ingredients. One is sand (silica). When…

Crystal is a term that means many different things to many different people. It has geological, mathematical, chemical, commercial, artistic, and even metaphysical meanings depending on how it is…

A geode is a rock formation that combines minerals to form a hollowed-out rock with crystals lining the inside. It can take a long time for geodes to form. Some geodes that have been found are…

Lasers used for cutting are rarely found outside of industrial use, as they are extremely dangerous and very large. Laser cutting is done by CO2 lasers or neodymium lasers. CO2 lasers function by…

Throughout history, people have been fascinated with crystals. Individuals have used them as beautiful jewelry pieces, in religious ceremonies, and even as healing objects and as energy sources.…

Making crystals with your kids can be a fun way to teach geology, or a great accompaniment to your earth science curriculum. Crystals can form from basic ingredients found in your kitchen. You can…