To learn about a saturated solution and how to make crystals

Aim: To learn about a saturated solution and how to make crystals

Crystal video

Definition of a solution: 

A liquid mixture, when something is dissolved into a liquid (eg: sugar in water) 

Borax Crystals

Definition of saturated: 

Having or holding as much as can be absorbed of something (when no more sugar or borax can be dissolved into the water)

In groups of three, you will make three different types of crystals and compare the results.

Borax Crystals

Borax Crystals time-lapse video

 

Ratio; 3 Tablespoons Borax per 1/2 cup water

Materials

1)Cup

2)Borax

3)Popsicle Sticks

4)warm water

5) pipe cleaners 

Process

Step 1: Get a cup and put three tablespoons of borax

Step 2: put warm water in the cup and take a stick and stir it until it looks like a solution 

Step 3: wait for a while and keep an eye on it 

Step 4: after a while stir it again and if it feels like there is still mush that's normal 

Step 5: stir for a while if it just feels thick stir faster but try not to spill it.
Step 6: once you think you've stirred enough stop and let it rest and keep an eye on it 

Sugar Crystals

Sugar crystals video

Ratio: 1 cup sugar to 1/2 cup water

Materials

1)Cup

2)Sugar

3)Popsicle Stick

4)Warm water

5)String

Process

Step 1: take your cup and add sugar until it is halfway full 

Step 2: Put the warm water in and start to stir 

Step 3: stop stirring and wait for awhile keep eye on it

Step 4: stir it once again and do it fast not to fast that you spill it

Step 5: wait for 5 minutes 

Step 6: stir it until it becomes a yellow see-through liquid  

Salt Crystals

Salt crystals time-lapse video

Ratio: 4 Tablespoons salt to 1/2 cup water

Materials

1)Salt

2)Popsicle sticks

3)Cup

4)Warm water

5)String

Process

Step 1: take your cup and add four tablespoons of salt 

Step 2: Put the warm water in and stir for a while

Step 3: wait for 5 minutes

Step 4: stir fast and keep an eye on the color  

Step 5: after the wait and you see there is water at the top and salt at the bottom and you can see the separation that is normal

Step 6: stir for 10 minutes then wait for 5 minutes 

Findings

Describe your crystals in the table below.

Crystal Type	Shape (Describe the shape)	Size (of individual crystals)	Hardness (Crumbly to Rock Hard)
Borax	Cubic	Small, Medium	Hard-ish
Sugar	Trigonal, cubic	small	hard
Salt	cubic	Medium	hard

What crystals worked out best and why?:

Conclusion:

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After watching the videos as a class, explain how the following crystals are formed:

Type	Explanation
Salt	People take the water from the ocean and put it into a pond, so when it's a hot hot day the water will evaporate and all that will be left is the salt crystals
Sugar	People take cups and water then add sugar to it until it's clear and yellow-ish and they take a pencil or stick and wrap a string that's damp it in sugar and then they wait for a few days and wait to see crystallization.
Snowflakes	Snowflakes are made out of clouds but the thing is that clouds have crystals in them and that's how rain and snowflakes are made. The crystals are formed from seawater so after it rains water goes up to clouds and the clouds crystallize the water.

CRYSTAL TYPES

AIM: TO LOOK AT THE 7 DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRYSTALS

Salt Crystals

Sugar Crystals

Borax Crystals

7 different crystal shapes

The 7 types of crystals:

Type	Number of sides	2 examples	Image
Triclinic	7	Turquoise Rhodonite
Monoclinic	7	Orthoclase, mica
Orthorhombic	6	Sulfur, Topaz
Trigonal	12	Rutile, Wulfenite
Hexagonal	8	quartz, calcite
Cubic	6	Pyrite, garnet
Tetragonal	9	Rhodonite, gypsum