How to Make Crystals With Borax
Children can create fanciful shapes and use them as a frame work to grow clear or colored crystals using a common household cleaning product. The crystals grow overnight, allowing children to see first hand the crystal-formation process which creates many types of rocks.
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Instructions
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1
Make a shape out of pipe cleaners that will fit inside the jar. This will be the shape of your crystal.
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2
Tie the shape to a piece of string. Place a small stick, such as pencil or craft stick, across the mouth of the jar. Tie the other end of the string to the pencil, so that the pipe-cleaner shape hangs completely inside the jar 1 to 2 inches below the rim.
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3
Remove the stick and the shape from the jar.
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4
Fill the jar with boiling water to 1 inch below the rim.
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5
Add borax stirring constantly until you have some borax on the bottom of the jar, which will not dissolve when stirred. This is a sign that the solution has become supersaturated and no more borax can be dissolved.
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6
Put the pipe cleaner shape back into the jar.
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7
Wait overnight. The pipe cleaners will be covered with crystals after 12 hours in the supersaturated solution.
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Tips & Warnings
You can make colored crystals by adding a few drops of food coloring to the solution.
Make sure you use 100 percent borax
Have an adult pour the boiling water
Supervise the children when stirring the hot water.
References
- Photo Credit crystal image by peter Hires Images from Fotolia.com
