How to Make Crystals
Growing a crystal garden is a great science project that kids can do at home. All you need are a few simple ingredients that can be found at your local grocery store, a little ingenuity and a little patience. These steps will help you understand how to make your own crystals.
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Instructions
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Select a crystal recipe. One easy recipe to start with is for alum crystals. To grow alum crystals you will need alum powder and water.
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Shop for the ingredients that you need for growing your crystals. Science stores will have alum. If you can't find alum locally then you can easily find it online.
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Gather the tools that you will need for growing your crystals. You will need a glass jar, a pan for heating up the solution, a spoon for stirring, a shallow dish and a cloth.
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Set up your crystal growing area. Alum crystals will need a warm area to grow in that will not be disturbed.
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Combine your crystal growing ingredients. For alum crystals you will want to add 4 ounces of alum powder to about 2 cups of water. Stir over a medium low flame until the powder has completely dissolved. Then slowly add in more alum powder until the powder stops dissolving in the water.
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Cool the solution and then pour part of the solution into a shallow dish and the rest into a glass jar. Add another tablespoon of alum powder into your jar and stir. Use a clean cloth to cover the jar before setting the experiment aside. Do not cover the solution in the shallow dish.
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Wait for your crystals to grow. This is going to take several days. After the solution has completely evaporated from your shallow dish you will have several "seed" crystals to choose from. Select the biggest to grow your alum crystals from.
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Tie a string around the seed crystal that you have selected and suspend it in the solution you have saved in your glass jar. Place the glass jar aside in a warm area that will not be disturbed.
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Watch your alum crystal grow. It will take about 2 weeks for your alum crystals to complete their growth cycle. After 2 weeks remove the crystal from the solution and enjoy it.
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Tips & Warnings
Encourage the development of crystal spikes by using a deep bowl with a narrow base. This will force the crystals to grow up instead of out.
Comments
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hello mummy
