How to Grow Salt Crystals With the Ingredient Charcoal
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 it's not chemically possible to grow a single large crystal with salt and charcoal, you can cultivate an impressive multi-colored garden of crystals. The really amazing thing is that all you'll need are everyday materials, commonly available at the grocery store. This is a fun and inexpensive project to share with your kids, who will be utterly amazed at the results. You probably will be, too.
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Things You'll Need
- Distilled water or de-chlorinated tap water
- Shallow non-metallic dish
- Petroleum jelly
- Hammer
- 6 to 10 charcoal briquettes
- Disposable or rubber gloves
- Heat-proof glass container
- Iodized salt
- Clear household ammonia
- Bluing
- Eyedropper (optional)
- Food coloring (optional)
- Small portable fan (optional)
Instructions
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1
Fill a quart jar with tap water if you don't have any distilled water. Set it on the counter uncovered where it will be out of your way for 24 to 48 hours. The chlorine will evaporate from it.
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2
Coat the sides of a shallow non-metallic dish with petroleum jelly. A pie or cake baking dish works well for this. Crystals won't grow on surfaces treated with petroleum jelly, so they won't be climbing out of your container as they become larger and begin to spread.
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3
Break six to 10 charcoal briquettes into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces with a hammer.
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4
Put on rubber gloves to protect your skin from caustic materials. Heat a cup of distilled or de-chlorinated water just until it boils and pour 4 tablespoons into a heat-proof glass container. Add 4 tablespoons of iodized salt and stir to dissolve completely. Add 4 tablespoons of clear household ammonia and 4 tablespoons of liquid bluing. Stir to blend the crystal solution well.
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5
Drop the charcoal pieces into the solution and swirl them around to wet them evenly with it. Remove them with gloved fingers and arrange them in the center of the dish with their sides touching. Use an eyedropper to sprinkle a tiny bit of food coloring here and there, a drop at a time. Sprinkle enough salt onto the charcoal pieces to just cover them.
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6
Pour enough crystal solution into the container to cover the charcoal pieces halfway up their sides. Place the container in a warm, dry spot where they won't be disturbed. The top of your refrigerator or above a hot water heater are good locations. Directing a gentle breeze from a small portable fan on the container from several feet away will speed up crystal growth although it isn't necessary for success of the project. Crystals will begin to form in one to two days.
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7
Mix up another batch of the crystal solution in two to three days when visible crystals have formed and you can tell that the liquid level in the container is reduced. Add enough solution to the container to restore the original depth so that the crystals will keep growing. Be careful not to drop any of the solution onto the fragile growing crystals to avoid damaging them.
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Repeat Step 7 every two to four days for two to four weeks until the crystals are as big as you want them to grow. As long as you keep feeding them, they'll continue to expand.
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Tips & Warnings
Bluing can be located in grocery or department stores with the laundry products. If liquid isn't available, the powdered form may be. Simply mix it up according to the packaging instructions to make your liquid bluing.
Crystals grow best if they're left alone, so don't pick the container up and rattle it around.
Always wear gloves when handling any chemicals, even common household substances.
