Crystal salt. How to grow a crystal from salt

Hey brain chemists! Growing crystals on objects to give them weird shapes or just for a science experiment is easy and fun! In this project, I will grow crystals on objects that are printed on a 3D printer.

This process is quite simple and preparatory work no more than 1 hour of your time is required. The crystals themselves take several days to grow.

Step 1: Required Components

To grow salt crystals you will need:

1. SALT!
Crystals can be grown from almost any salt, however, for best results, I suggest using copper sulfate or magnesium sulfate (epsom salt). You can also experiment with sodium chloride (common salt), sea salt, tin salt, etc. Wear nitrile gloves when using copper sulfate.
For this project, I chose Epsom salt.
2. Distilled water.
3. transparent container 5 cm larger than the object on which the crystals will be grown.
Transparent food containers provide a visual perception of the crystal growth process, as well as retain heat well and do not break.
4. An object where crystals or twine will be grown.
Feel free to experiment with the lattice design of your 3D object!
5. Device for holding your object in solution: sticks, toothpicks, wires, twine or stand, etc.
6. bowler hat large enough to boil required amount water for brine.
7. Spoon for mixing.

Step 2: Prepare the saline solution

Pour water into the kettle.
Salt must be added to water in a ratio of 1 to 2.
Boil water.
After boiling, leave the water on low heat.
Add salt gradually and stir until completely dissolved. Continue the process, adding and stirring the salt until it no longer dissolves. At the bottom of the pot you will see crystals. Remove the pot from the fire.
Carefully pour the resulting solution into your container (if using a glass jug or container, put a spoon into it before pouring the saline solution to prevent the container from being damaged).
Place the solution container in comfortable spot for growing salt crystals.

Step 3: Hanging an Object or String in Salt Solution

Growing Salt Crystals:
Place a stick or spoon across the top of your container.
Tie a piece of string to the center of the stick, and dip into the solution 3.8 cm or more from the bottom of the container.
Leave the container in place and watch the crystals grow.

Growing salt crystals on site:
Similarly to the above method, hang or tie your object to string so that it is immersed in the solution and there is a distance of 5 cm between the object and the container, which is necessary for the growth of salt crystals.

Alternatively, you can hang your object using sticks or wire.

Step 4: Waiting for crystal growth!

Do not touch the container, check crystal growth only visually.

Step 5: Carefully remove the crystals from the solution

Carefully remove the string or object from the solution when the crystals have grown to the desired shape and size. If the crystals have bonded between the container and your object, then take a butter knife and carefully separate the crystals from the edges of the container; try not to damage the shape of the grown crystals.

Step 6: Want more crystals?

Before removing a string or object with crystals from the solution, evaluate the size of the crystals and decide if you want to grow more crystals. For further crystal growth, it is necessary to repeat the whole process by preparing a new brine solution.

When growing additional crystals, it is very important to prepare a new portion of the solution correctly: after boiling and preparing the solution, ALLOW IT TO COOL TO ROOM TEMPERATURE before lowering the string or object into it again.

If the solution is not cooled, then the already grown crystals will melt in hot water and the whole process will have to be started anew.

Step 7: Examples

Here are photos of crystals that I grew in more than 3 solutions. You can see the difference in the size and shape of the crystals.

Step 8: Enjoy Your Crystals!

After growing your crystals to the desired size, carefully remove the string/object. Dry on a towel. ENJOY YOUR RESULTS!

For further experiments, you can try to use tap water, colored water and different types salts, including iodized salt, non-iodized salt, sea salt, or even salt substitutes. Look at the difference in grown crystals using a microscope for this purpose!

Crystals look attractive, eye-catching and mesmerizing. Gemstones used in jewelry are mineral crystals.

Thanks to modern technologies people have learned to grow such beauty on their own, and synthetic gems difficult to distinguish from crystals of natural origin. Table salt is also able to grow in the form of crystals. To verify this, consider ways to grow salt at home.

Materials for growing salt

To grow a salt crystal, prepare the appropriate solution and special dishes. The process itself will take several months, so you have to be patient. The growth of a salt crystal is affected by air humidity, room temperature, saturation of the solution, and the type of salt used. To successfully complete the experiment, you will need the following components:

A container made of a material that is not capable of oxidizing in salt water (a glass jar will do);

Table or sea salt;

Funnel;

Copper wire or thread;

Napkins or filter paper;

Wooden or glass rod for stirring the solution.

salt growing process

1. Pour distilled water into a container and add salt. Salt must be poured until mixing becomes difficult.
2. Place the resulting mixture on water bath and wait for the salt to completely dissolve in the water.
3. Strain the solution through filter paper or a napkin into a prepared jar.
4. Tie a small crystal of salt to the thread and lower it into the chilled liquid. Tie the second end of the thread to a stick, the length of which is greater than the diameter of the neck of the jar. The stick will help fix the thread with the crystal, which is constantly in limbo.
5. Cover the resulting structure with a piece of cloth or a napkin, then put it in a place with the least temperature fluctuations.
6. During the experiment, you can not touch the jar, move and pull the thread with the crystal. The structure must be stationary.
7. After 4 weeks, the crystal will increase to the size of a bean, after 8 weeks the stone will reach a diameter of 4 cm. If a larger salt crystal is needed, you will have to wait a few more months.
8. Carefully remove the finished crystal of the desired diameter from the jar and wipe it with a napkin. To protect the crystal from external damage, it is recommended to coat the stone with clear nail polish.
9. After the varnish has dried, you can admire the salt crystal.

A crystal is grown in the same way. of blue color- for this, blue food coloring is added to the solution.

How to grow a white crystal from sea salt

To create a white crystal from sea ​​salt you will need the materials described above. The process of growing salt is as follows.

1. In a glass container, prepare a saturated saline solution. In 100 g hot water add 40 g of sea salt and stir the solution until the salt dissolves.
2. Cool the resulting liquid, then filter.
3. Let the solution stand for several hours, then filter again.
4. Attach a grain of sea salt to a copper wire big size and lower it into a container with a solution so that the crystal does not touch the bottom.
5. Cover the jar with a sheet of paper so that foreign objects and dust do not get inside.
6. After two days, carefully pull out the wire with the crystal, move it to another vessel and pour the solution into it.
7. The liquid is filtered once a week.
8. After a few days, the growth of the salt crystal will become noticeable. You can grow a stone until a crystal of the required diameter is formed.

The grown stone from salt is characterized by increased brittleness and fragility, so you should not hold it in your hands for no reason. After varnishing, it is recommended to store the crystal in a closed container so as not to damage it. Using the methods described, you can grow many salt crystals at home. different color using food coloring in the preparation of the solution bright colors. To find out what other crystals you can grow at home, click

Do you like to conduct scientific experiments and want to involve your children in this? Most The best way for this - try to grow a crystal together from ordinary salt, which everyone in the house probably has.

Safety rules

The experiment is based on the chemical reaction of a saturated salt solution. Both cooking and sea are used almost every day in everyday life, it will not harm you. But still try to work with gloves and a scarf. This will prevent the ingress of foreign objects into the liquid - dust, hair.

If you have unhealed wounds or burrs on your hands, you need to be very careful, as the solution can corrode the skin in damaged areas and cause acute pain.

In order to grow such a crystal at home, you do not need any laboratory equipment. Everything you need is at your fingertips.

Regular salt crystals should have even, large faces

Do not add natural or artificial colors. This makes no sense: the salt crystal will still grow colorless.

How to grow a crystal

So, water and salt will act as reagents in the experiment, and the equipment will be:

Note! Jars or glasses must be absolutely clean. Any mote on their inner surface can become the basis for the growth of additional crystals that interfere with the main one.

Solution preparation

The germ of a crystal of sea or table salt

Prepare the embryos on which the crystals will grow. They should be large so that you can easily attach them to a thread.

The easiest way to make a selection is as follows: pour salt into the salt shaker and shake until all the small crystals fall out. Those that did not go through the holes of the salt shaker and remained inside are great for our purpose. Choose the largest of them, with a shape close to a rectangle, with a minimum of deviations.

Try to choose the largest and evenest crystals as the embryo of the future crystal

Fix the selected embryo on a thread, and, in turn, wind it on a stick or pencil so that over time it will be easy to adjust the immersion depth.

Growth

The main and longest phase of the experiment begins. In a saturated solution, poured into a second jar, immerse the embryos, wrap the container with something warm so that the liquid cools more slowly.

If the solution was sufficiently saturated and clean, the embryos will increase slightly in a day. Otherwise, they will dissolve.

Now cover the top of the jar with paper to avoid dirt and dust, and leave for 3-4 days. Water will gradually evaporate, and salt will precipitate, growing on the embryo and ensuring the growth of crystals.

It is at this stage that mistakes made in the preparation process may appear. For example, you could incorrectly fasten a loop of thread on a crystal, and it will simply grow into the middle. To avoid this, fasten the embryo not in a knot, but in a thread loop, both ends of which are brought out. After the growth process is over, pull the ends of the loop one by one to loosen the clamp, and remove the thread.

You can set any shape to the crystal during the growth period

If you want to grow a crystal quickly, take it out of the container after a few days. Over time, it should already increase in size. Prepare a new saturated salt solution and lower the crystal there again. Some experts advise simply adding the required amount of salt to the jar and mix thoroughly.

A wonderful and exciting activity - growing crystals at home can distract your child from harmful gadgets for a long time. Before our eyes, real magic will happen - both adults and children will be surprised. And if you grow a crystal from sugar, the result will be not only beautiful, but also tasty.

The main thing is to be patient, crystals do not grow quickly, they need time. But you don't have to wait a year either. One or two weeks is enough - and now, the crystal is ready. Of course, it is not possible to grow ruby ​​or emerald druse at home, but, one way or another, the process will be very entertaining and interesting.

You should know that when artificial jewelry is grown under industrial conditions - crystals of diamond, ruby ​​and others - the process is very slow, but one large crystal can be grown. And if you need a lot of small crystals, then the process should be fast.

Ways

Solution cooling

In this case, a salt solution is prepared and then cooled. In this case, a chemical reaction occurs when the dissolved substances in the water precipitate from a decrease in temperature and, accordingly, settle on the walls of the vessel or on a carefully placed stick or thread.

If the cooling is slow enough, you can grow some fairly large crystals of beautiful, geometric correct form. And if you cool immediately and sharply, then a lot of small salt crystals are formed, and all of them are arbitrary, irregular shape. After all, with rapid and rapid growth in close proximity it becomes crowded. But sometimes it is fun to grow such crystals - a miracle happens literally before our eyes. Ruby crystals, of course, cannot be grown this way, but in any case, the result and the process will be interesting.

Water removal

With this method, water is gradually evaporated from a solution of salt or sugar - in a natural way. It is important to evaporate the water as slowly as possible - the result will be more accurate. It is advisable to generally cover the vessel with the solution with paper. As a result, you will get large beautiful crystals. In addition, this way dust will not get into the vessel and spoil all the beauty.

A thread or a stick is usually placed in the vessel - crystals grow on these objects. If you didn’t put anything, then the crystals will begin to form at the bottom of the vessel - in this case, it will be necessary to periodically turn the crystals over so that they grow evenly on all sides and have the correct edges.

The water will begin to evaporate over time and it will be necessary to add fresh nutrient concentrate.

It is interesting that even if the crystal was initially wrong, for example, it grew in cramped quarters, then, if it is separated and grown separately, over time it acquires the correct one, nice shape, as if "recovering".

What to use?

Consider what materials you can grow a crystal from:

1. salt for cooking
2. Copper or iron sulphate
3. Alum
4. Sugar. The result will be beautiful and delicious. By the way, sometimes in stores and especially in tea boutiques, you can see sugar crystals on sticks that are sold. If you have seen it, you will agree that it is very appetizing and looks chic, but the price is frustrating. But you can grow sugar crystals on your own, pleasing yourself and surprising your loved ones.

salt crystal

Edible salt is in every home, so this cheap, unpretentious material can be used for crystalline experiments. In general, a crystal can be grown from any salt. But access to chemicals and not everyone has substances, so sodium chloride is the most accessible salt to us, unlike complex and expensive substances for growing ruby ​​or emerald.

• Pour water into a glass and put it in a container with water. Any water will do. If you need ideal growing conditions - use distilled. And if you are just conducting an amateur experiment, it will do from the tap
• Salt should be poured into a glass and mixed. She starts to dissolve. If the water in a large container begins to cool, constantly add warm
• Add salt and dissolve it, stirring and maintaining constantly high temperature water that surrounds the glass

• Keep adding new salt until it no longer dissolves. You will understand this when you see that the newly added salt began to simply settle at the bottom. Everything, a concentrated salt solution is obtained
• Now it should be poured into another container. At the same time, the precipitate that formed from the last addition of salt must be left in the old glass - it will not be useful for growing crystals
• Carefully sort through your salt and find a crystal large enough, then put it in the bottom of the glass with the solution. Around this "base" new crystals will form and grow.
• It will be more difficult to tie a crystal to a thread and hang it in a container with a solution - but at the end you can get a thread hung with clusters
• In two days, you will already notice the growth that has begun. And with each subsequent day they will become more and more beautiful. If you want, you can add food coloring to the water - and you will have your own ruby ​​or chrysolite crystals

If you do the whole process over again, and use the crystal you have grown as a "base", it will increase even more. So you can continue, almost indefinitely. If you want, you can grow a salt crystal the size of your palm or smaller.

Keep in mind that a standard glass of 200 grams can hold about 70 grams of salt - that's 3.5 tablespoons. This should be taken into account when preparing the solution. The proportion is calculated for a water temperature of 20 degrees. If you raise the temperature, more salt can get into the glass. This refers to the amount that can be dissolved in water without precipitation.

• It is not recommended to pull the growing "jewels" out of the nutrient solution into the air. This can slow or even stop their growth.
• It is better to cover the container where the "pet" grows, since even the ingress of ordinary dust can be detrimental to the "growing organism"
• Be sure to keep an eye on the solution, update it as necessary - and your "ruby" or "emerald" crystal will delight you with fast, active growth.

• It is undesirable to use dishes from which you ever plan to eat for your experiments.
• Do not use unfamiliar reagents and chemicals. It could be dangerous
• If you are experimenting with chemical substances be sure to wear gloves and protective clothing

How to store

Suppose we have grown our jewel. Now you need to learn how to care for it and properly store it.

If you have grown a crystal from alum, then it cannot be left in the open air, because under the influence of oxygen it will turn into a grayish powder. Therefore, it should be stored only in a jar with a closing lid. If you are going to keep it in the public domain and show it to friends, then it is better to cover the grown exhibit with a colorless varnish, thereby limiting the supply of oxygen. You can also cover it with color, stylizing it, for example, in the color of a ruby.

As for the "minerals" blue vitriol and salt, they are more stable. Therefore, for home growing it is better to start with them. It is clear that it is undesirable to expose the salt crystal to water and keep it in a damp place.

In general, making your own crystals even from salt is very exciting. By the way, a crystal can theoretically be grown in any size, if an appropriate vessel is found. But such dimensions, of course, are useless. And neat and beautiful copy anyone can grow at home. Some particularly enthusiastic chemists, and even amateurs, grew crystals at home of such a size that only a few people could lift the "colossus".

One of the most mysterious and most beautiful creations of nature are crystals. They attract their unusual shape and impress with their strength. Have you ever wondered how to grow a crystal at home without resorting to complex technologies and high costs? After all, this is a real experiment that can be carried out without harm to yourself and to environment. This is an interesting, exciting adventure, in the final of which you will receive a crystal as a reward.

There are several ways to grow an exquisite crystal:

• using salt;
• sugar crystals;
• growing a crystal from copper sulphate.

The first two methods are completely safe, so they can be used without resorting to using protective equipment. However, in all cases, you must be attentive and patient, and then you will receive your own unique crystal, which will become a symbol of your efforts and labors.

So, for starters, we will learn how to grow a crystal from salt at home and without special efforts. To conduct this unusual experiment, you will need quite a common set:

• water (plain and drinking);
• pot;
• 2 glass jars;
• 1 pack of salt (regular, table);
• silk thread (as well as wire or lace).

And now we begin our magical actions that will lead us to the treasured crystal.

1. Choose the largest grain from a pack of salt - it will serve as a seed or embryo for the future crystal.

1. And now we stock up on patience, wait and watch how our crystal grows. It will happen within 2-3 weeks. To accelerate the growth of the crystal, it is necessary to periodically prepare a new saturated salt solution and lower the crystal into it.

We grow a crystal from copper sulphate: magic in a glass

Consider another incredible way to grow a crystal at home. This time we will get something like a ruby ​​(if you look at the shape) and a topaz (if you look at the color). And the basis for creating this crystal will be copper sulfate, which you can buy at a farm store.

Remember that a substance such as copper sulfate is used in horticulture to protect plants from fungi and other diseases, so it is toxic. Take precautions when purchasing and preparing crystal growth solution. Check the integrity of the package containing copper sulfate. Shake it and examine it carefully, make sure that the powder is bright blue in color and has a loose, crumbly texture that does not clump. When working with copper sulphate, use non-food containers and protect your hands rubber gloves . If the substance comes into contact with your skin, wash it with plenty of water.

1. And now we begin to grow the crystal. To do this, you will need 300 ml of water and 300 g of copper sulfate, 2 jars, a deep bowl, hot water for a water bath and for preparing a solution.

1. We put the jar in a water bath (in a bowl with hot water) and add 100 grams of copper sulfate. Pour 100 ml of hot water.

1. We wait 10 minutes, and then pour the liquid into the second jar.

1. At the bottom of the jar, small blue crystals should form, which we will use to seed our future crystalline masterpiece.

1. We select the crystals of the correct shape, pull them out with tweezers and dry them.

1. We prepare a concentrated solution of copper sulphate: gradually dissolve 100 grams in 50-100 ml of hot distilled or drinking water, stirring gradually. If for the first time you didn’t get a crystal, dissolve the vitriol until small crystals settle at the bottom. Now we pour the solution into the second container and leave it overnight. The next day, seed crystals should form at the bottom of the dish.

1. We make another solution in which we will place our seed. Dissolve 100 g of vitriol in 100 ml of hot water. Pour the solution and let it cool.

1. We tie the seed to the thread and place it in the solution so that it does not touch the bottom and walls of the dish. We tie the second end of the thread to a pencil and lay it on top of the jar. We cover the container with paper and leave it in a room with a constant temperature.

1. We follow the growth of the crystal. In a week it will look something like this. He grew by almost 2 cm.

1. It is time to change the solution so that the crystal grows faster. We prepare the solution according to the recipe from point 2, cool it and place the crystal there.

1. This crystal is 11 days old.

1. Change the solution every week to get an exquisite crystal.

1. Minimum crystal grows 14 days but you can wait longer. For example, this handsome man is already 22 days old.

1. But such a miracle will be waiting for you in a month.

1. Result after a month and a half.

1. And after 52 days, your crystal will grow by 10 cm! Cover it with a colorless varnish to make it shiny and durable.

And to complete the picture, we suggest you watch a video about growing a crystal.

Sugar crystal: a delicious and beautiful do-it-yourself delicacy

Another pleasant and useful project- growing a crystal from sugar. Learn with the help of the video how to quickly and tasty prepare your amazing dessert, which you can treat your friends to at a fabulous tea party.

How to draw a crystal: diagrams for beginner artists

While you are wondering what else you can grow an unusual crystal from, we we offer you several schemes, allowing you to reproduce the structure of the crystal on paper.