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

Crystal video

Definition of solution: 

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

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) Tablespoon

2) Borax

3) Water

4) Cup 

5) Peg

6) Pipe Cleaner

Process

Step 1: Put 3 Tablespoons of borax into some water

Step 2: Mix for around 10 minutes or until the water can't take any more

Step 3: Combined the pipe cleaners into a star shape

Step 4: Put it in the cup with the borax and water using a peg

Step 6: Wait a few days and watch the crystals grow

Sugar Crystals

Sugar crystals video

Ratio: 1 cup sugar to 1/2 cup water

Materials

1) Sugar

2) Water

3) Cup

4) Stick

5) String

Process

Step 1: Put 3 Tablespoons of sugar into some water

Step 2: Mix for around 10 minutes or until the water can't take any more

Step 3: Put the string around the stick

Step 4: Put it in the cup with the sugar and water using a peg

Step 6: Wait a few days and watch the crystals grow

Salt Crystals

Salt crystals time-lapse video

Ratio: 4 Tablespoons salt to 1/2 cup water

Materials

1) Cup

2) Salt

3) Stick

4) Water

5) String

Process

Step 1: Put 3 Tablespoons of salt into some water

Step 2: Mix for around 10 minutes or until the water can't take any more

Step 3: Put the string around the stick

Step 4: Put it in the cup with the salt and water using a peg

Step 6: Wait a few days and watch the crystals grow

Findings

Describe your crystals in the table below.

Crystal Type	Shape (Describe the shape)	Size (of individual crystals)	Hardness (Crumbly to Rock Hard)
Borax	Crystal,	They come out Big	they are Hard
Sugar	Cubed	small	soft
Salt	Cubed	medium	hard

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

Type	Explanation
Salt	While the ocean is a natural salt brine, hydraulic mining (or solution mining) of salt involves pumping water below the earth's surface to dissolve salt deposits and create a salt brine. This brine is then pumped to the surface and evaporated to create salt. ... Most table salt is produced with this method.
Sugar	Refined sugar is made from raw sugar that has undergone a refining process to remove the molasses. Raw sugar is sucrose which is extracted from sugarcane or sugar beet. The sugar syrup is concentrated by boiling and then cooled and seeded with sugar crystals, causing the sugar to crystallize out.
Snowflakes	A snowflake begins to form when an extremely cold water droplet freezes onto a pollen or dust particle in the sky. This creates an ice crystal. As the ice crystal falls to the ground, water vapor freezes onto the primary crystal, building new crystals – the six arms of the snowflake.

CRYSTAL TYPES

AIM: TO LOOK AT THE 7 DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRYSTALS

7 different crystal shapes