How to grow a crystal at home? If earlier such a question might surprise, today most people have seen at least once in their lives what home-grown crystals are, and some have already created such beauty.
The process can be called laborious, and it will take a lot of time, but it can definitely captivate, especially since the result is usually impressive. Growing crystals is recommended as a joint activity with children, because small and not so young researchers are very interested in such a pastime.
When deciding to experiment at home for the first time, it is worth starting with the simplest, using a product that can be found in any home - sugar. This method is especially recommended for conducting research with children, especially since they will try the result. How to grow a crystal from sugar?
This will require the following:
The growing process begins with cooking sugar syrup - 1/4 tbsp. water is mixed with 2 liters. sugar and keep on the stove until the liquid acquires the consistency of syrup. Then a skewer is dipped in it and sprinkled with sugar. The further beauty of the sugar crystal depends on the uniformity of the sprinkling. Thus, several blanks are made and left for 8-12 hours until they are completely dry.
Once the skewers are dry, you can begin the next step. Pour 500 ml of water into a saucepan or ladle and pour 2.5 cups of granulated sugar. Then the container is placed on a slow fire and boiled, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes a syrup. It is important to ensure that the sugar is completely dissolved.
Then add the remaining sugar (2.5 cups) and continue cooking. After the syrup is left for 20 minutes to cool. And at this time, you can do the preparation of the base for the crystals. It is necessary to cut circles of paper, slightly larger in diameter than the glasses and gently pierce them with chopsticks. The main thing is that the paper should be firmly fixed on the skewer, as it will play the role of a holder and serve as a lid for the glass.
Cooled down, but still hot, the syrup must be poured into glasses. And if at this moment you combine it with food coloring, then the grown crystal will become colored. Then the stick in paper is dipped into the sugar mixture and left there until a crystal forms. After a similar procedure is repeated with the remaining blanks.
It will not be possible to quickly grow a crystal in this way, since, on average, this process will take 6-8 days. After it is formed, you can admire the result and treat yourself and the children to a beautiful sweetness.
How does salt crystallize?
You can use not only sugar, but it is also possible to grow a crystal from salt at home. This is a fairly simple procedure, which, however, requires patience.
To create it, you need the following:
Water is heated in a saucepan, not bringing to a boil, otherwise the experiment will fail. Then salt is slowly poured into it, without ceasing to mix, so that each salt portion is completely dissolved. Salt is added until the water stops dissolving it.
Salt solution is placed in a jar and settled for about 20-24 hours. As time passes, various crystalline formations appearing from the salt sediment are found in the tank. You need to choose the one that is prettier and larger, get it out of the jar and tie it on a thread.
The remaining solution must be poured into another jar, but so that other crystals do not get into it. Then a crystal with a tied thread is lowered into it. After that, it remains only to wait, as the crystal will begin to grow, and in a couple of days a change in its size will be noticeable.
As soon as its growth stops, you can end the experiment or prepare an additional salt solution and repeat the procedure so that the crystal becomes much larger. By the way, you can speed up the process by changing the saline more often.
Having learned how to grow a crystal from salt and having prepared everything you need, it is worth considering a few nuances. First, you can not cool the solution, chat, and also try to color, coloring will not occur, but the experiment will fail.
Use for the experience of copper sulfate
We will talk about a more complex process that can be carried out at home, but if it is performed by children, then with the obligatory viewing of adults. How to grow a crystal from copper sulfate (aka copper sulfate)?
For the experiment, you need to prepare the following components:
When purchasing the last component, it is worth evaluating the quality of the substance - the powder has a bright blue color, a uniform consistency, without impurities and lumps.
Pour 100 g of the substance into a container and pour it in small portions with hot water, without ceasing to stir. The solution is so saturated that the copper salt is not able to dissolve in it.
The liquid is filtered and placed on a shelf in the refrigerator compartment. Enough night to find that the bottom of the jar is covered with a lot of crystals. It is worth choosing a couple more beautiful and larger and lower it into a filtered solution, after securing it with a thread. The container is covered with paper and all that remains is waiting.
This is the longest experiment, as vitriol crystals grow slowly. It will take more than one week for it to ripen. The crystal is then taken out of the jar, rinsed under cool water and covered with a colorless nail art coat.
Having learned how to grow a crystal at home, you can do an experiment without delay. And if everything is done correctly, the result will surely please.
Copper sulfate has a bright and saturated blue color. Crystals are especially beautiful. They can be an original gift for friends and relatives or become a very interesting activity to create it. Copper sulfate crystals will become an original decor for the room. So how do you grow them yourself? The basic manufacturing principles are described in this article.
How to grow a crystal from copper sulfate - material preparation
- This tool is sold in stores for agricultural products. But when using it at home, it is worth remembering that copper sulfate is a toxic drug. It is used to kill pests in the fields. Therefore, when working with it, observe safety precautions: work only with rubber gloves, do not inhale the vapors of the solution with it, avoid contact with mucous membranes and eyes. Be sure to wash your hands after each work with the product and only under running water.
Important! Do not use tap water for the procedure. It contains chlorine, which will react with the agent and reduce the quality of the finished crystal. If you don't have distilled water, then use boiled water.
Advice. Since the crystal will be transparent in color, use a thin but strong thread to grow it. It will not be visible in the finished product, but it will hold the weight of the decor.
- When you install the thread in the container, make sure that it does not touch the walls of the dish, as well as the bottom. This will destroy the structure of the crystal.
- Since the glass will have to be heated, use it with a thick base or use heat-resistant dishes.
How to grow a crystal from copper sulfate - instructions and methods
- Today, there are two ways to grow crystals from copper sulfate. Although the principle is the same: the gradual formation of growths, the result is crystals with different structures. It also takes a different amount of time to grow.
- The fast method involves the formation of a crystal in a short time. It is suitable for those who do not like to wait and need a quick result. The whole process will take about a week. You will grow an elongated crystal with many small branches.
- If you want to grow a large crystal, then you will need a longer period of time and patience for this. But in the end, you will create an item that looks like a large gem.
How to grow a crystal from copper sulfate - a quick option
- Prepare a container with a volume of half a liter. Pour 200 g of powder into it and pour 300 ml of warm water. It should be on the sand oven. Stir the mixture well until the grains are completely dissolved.
- Remove the container from the sand and place it on the table. Let the mixture cool down. Tie a piece of vitriol to the thread - this will be the seed. Dip it in liquid.
- Make sure that the seed with the thread does not touch the walls and bottom of the dish. When the mixture cools, the released salts will settle on the prepared base. For convenience, fasten the thread to a pencil, which you place on the surface of the container. It will hold the thread in the vertical direction.
- After a day, remove the base, heat the container again. In this case, the powder that has settled to the bottom should completely melt. Cool the mixture and put the thread back inside the container. Cover and leave for 12 hours. In a day you will grow a brush of crystals on a thread. Repeat the procedure until the desired size of the decoration is formed.
- For a specific crystal shape, use a wire instead of a base. Bend it into any shape, for example, in the form of a drop and dip it into the mixture. But it also should not touch the walls and bottom of the container. In a week you will grow such a bright crystal.
Advice. To form the edges of the crystal, grease them with oil if their growth in a certain place is not needed.
How to grow a crystal from copper sulfate - a long option
You will get large crystals with a smooth surface when growing it with a long method. But for this you will need not only a lot of time, but also attention. With this method, seeding is important and small crystals will have to be removed.
- Mix 110 g of powder with 200 g of warm water. Stir the solution well, set aside. Then periodically stir it until the powder grains are completely dissolved. Filter the resulting mixture. Use a cotton pad or paper filter for this.
- Wash the container and pour the filtered solution into it.
- Among the powder crystals, find the largest and with even edges. Tie it to a thread and lower it into a container. It should be located strictly vertically inside, without touching the inner surface. Use a cloth to prevent dusty debris from entering the solution.
- In this method, you do not need to get the thread and heat the mixture. After 10 days, the crystal will increase by 2 times. Continue to grow it until you reach the desired volume.
As you can see, it is not difficult to grow a crystal from copper sulfate, the main thing is patience and compliance with safety rules.
Which can be done with children. Start exploring the magical world of crystals right now!
At home, you can grow crystals of almost all salts, but it is better to start with technologically simple materials. These include table salt, sugar, borax and blue vitriol. It produces the largest and most beautiful blue crystals. Growing them is easy, at the same time it is a very interesting and educational process. Our article will help you grow a copper sulfate crystal at home step by step.
What you need
blue vitriol
You can buy it at any gardening and hardware store. It is sold in packs of 100 grams. The blue color of household vitriol indicates a low degree of purification. Crystals from it are obtained lighter.
Copper sulphate of low purity
Copper sulfate can also be purchased at specialized laboratories. From such vitriol, a dark blue crystal will grow, similar to a precious stone.
Capacity for working solution
Glassware is used, as other materials react chemically with the solution. A half-liter jar with a wide neck is perfect. After the experience, it is strictly forbidden to use it for food purposes.
Basis for crystallization
As a basis, a thin woolen thread of blue or black color is used. An adult crystal is translucent, and the base should not spoil the result. An alternative may be thin, pre-sanded with sandpaper.
Water
If you use blue vitriol from a hardware store in the experiment, the water will need to be boiled. For the experiment with purified vitriol, distilled water is used.
Means of protection
The vitriol is toxic, and it is impossible to work with it without gloves. It is advisable for children of primary school age to wear a medical mask.
Pencil or stick to secure the base
On it you will hang a thread on which the crystal will grow.
Clear nail polish
Disposable plastic spoon
Important! Work is carried out only under the supervision of adults. At the end of the process, hands must be thoroughly washed under running water. You can not taste the crystal or powder. In case of contact with copper sulfate in the eyes, they should be washed with plenty of water.
How to make a crystal: work steps
Working solution of high concentration
In water heated to about 80 degrees, add copper sulfate in a spoon. The liquid has to be constantly stirred so that the powder is completely dissolved. It is important to keep the water temperature constant, and a water or sand bath can help. If copper sulfate has ceased to dissolve and settles at the bottom, then the solution is ready. On average, 200 grams of the substance will go to 300 ml of water.
seed crystal
We rearrange the container with the hot solution on the cooling surface and wait until the liquid has cooled to room temperature. This is necessary to start the precipitation of small crystals. Having filtered the solution through gauze, we will consider the crystals and choose the largest and correct in shape. We will use it later as a seed.
Crystal Growth Medium
The decanted solution is reheated in a water bath, again bringing it to a supersaturated state. If the resulting precipitate has not dissolved, repeat the cleaning. We tie the seed and place it in the jar so that the thread is located vertically, without touching the bottom and walls of the container. To do this, we tie the thread to the pencil, and fix the pencil itself on the neck, for example, with plasticine. you will find detailed instructions and a scientific description of this experiment.
crystal growth
We cover the dishes with a cloth napkin and leave for seven days in a stationary state. The static structure is a prerequisite for the beginning of crystal formation. After a week, you can see that the thread is overgrown with small crystals ranging in size from a millimeter, and the seed has increased by about 1 cm. The larger the crystal, the faster it grows. When the result is satisfactory, dry the crystal and coat it with varnish - it will protect the product from white deposits during storage and give it extra shine.
From this experience, children will learn how and why crystals grow and will love making scientific discoveries.
© Kireeva Elena Stanislavovna, 2018
Topic: "Growing crystals from copper sulfate"
Copper sulfate is a substance that, due to its beautiful bright blue color, is ideal for growing crystals. They can be given to your loved ones or used as a decorative element. In any case, they will not leave anyone indifferent, and the manufacturing process can become truly exciting. So, how to grow a crystal from copper sulfate?
Preparatory activities:
Copper sulphate can be purchased at almost any hardware store. It is actively used in agriculture for pest control. However, one should not forget that this substance is toxic. When working with copper sulphate, be sure to use rubber gloves and do not allow it to enter the esophagus and mucous membranes. Wash your hands thoroughly in running water after finishing work.
You can grow a real miracle from copper sulfate, but do not forget about safety during the manufacturing process.
In order to make a crystal, you will need:
water - if possible, use distilled or boiled as a last resort. Raw tap water is categorically not suitable due to the content of chlorides in it, which will react with the solution and degrade its quality;
copper sulfate;
plastic glass;
jar 500ml;
filter paper;
fishing line - remember copper sulfate crystals are transparent, and the thread should not be visible through them.
When placing the seed in a container with a solution, make sure that it does not come into contact with the walls or bottom of the vessel. This can disrupt the crystal growth process and its structure.
Instructions for growing a crystal:
1. mix vitriol and hot water in a suitable container (glass or jar). Stir: the active substance must be completely dissolved. Then filter the solution through cotton wool or filter paper. The sediment remaining on the surface of the filter can be dried and used again if necessary. Leave for a day;
2. the next day, drain all remaining solution into a clean container;
3. select a seed crystal, tie it to a fishing line (thread). Fasten the second end of the thread to a pencil, lay it horizontally on the container. The seed must descend into the solution in a strictly vertical position. Cover the dishes with a piece of cloth or a disk so that dust does not get inside;
4.After a few days, you will notice that the crystal is growing. In a week it will reach 1 cm, and over time it will increase even more;(this is our next step)
Be sure to cover the container with the solution and seed with a piece of cloth or disc.While working, you may encounter some difficulties. They are easy to overcome by adhering to simple rules.
A large crystal obtained by long-term cultivation.
When exposed to air, a crystal of copper sulphate loses some of its moisture, weathers and eventually collapses. To avoid this, store it in a tightly closed container in a cool place. Experts advise covering it with a colorless varnish - this will create a reliable protective film.
This article will talk in detail about how to grow a crystal from copper sulfate at home. This material can be useful both for schoolchildren when preparing a task in the subject of "chemistry", and for everyone interested in this science.
Why copper sulphate?
This substance belongs to the class of salts, which means that its solution can easily be turned into a solid through the process of crystallization. Growth of stone from it, as a rule, occurs much faster than using materials such as table salt or sugar. In addition, copper sulfate crystals turn out to be a beautiful blue color. With proper cultivation, they acquire the correct multifaceted shape, so it can be very interesting and pleasant to observe the result of your own experience.
Another argument in favor of choosing this particular material may be its availability. You can buy a jar of blue vitriol at any store specializing in the sale of accessories for gardeners and summer residents.
What do you need to know before starting the experience?
In this chapter, some theoretical knowledge will be given that will help you grow a crystal from copper sulfate at home in the future. First of all, you need to understand what processes must occur in order for the experience to be successful.
From chemistry lessons, schoolchildren know that many liquid and gaseous substances are capable of acquiring a solid consistency. This usually occurs during the crystallization process. But what if the task is to obtain a solid substance from sugar, salt or blue vitriol, which are already such? Science says it's entirely possible. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to start the recrystallization process. That is, the result of the experiment can be considered successful if small stones, having dissolved in a liquid, are immediately converted into the same solid clots.
Recrystallization
The main condition under which such a process can be carried out is the presence of a supersaturated solution.
This means that growing crystals at home from copper sulfate requires the manufacture of such a mixture. A liquid can be called supersaturated with some substance if there is so much material dissolved in it that part of it cannot completely mix with it and settles at the bottom of the container. Therefore, in order to figure out how to grow a crystal from copper sulfate, you must first learn how to make a supersaturated solution.
Hygiene requirements
First of all, it is worth taking care of the necessary sterility in which the experiment should take place. Ideally, the hair of an amateur chemist should be covered with a hat, and it is best to wear rubber gloves on your hands. Copper sulfate, if handled carefully and reasonably, does not pose any danger to the human body.
All of the above precautions are needed primarily to protect the solution from dust and small particles of foreign materials. This is extremely undesirable, since other crystals may begin to grow on such grains of sand that accidentally fall into the liquid, which will slow down the development of the main stone.
Supersaturated Solution Recipe
To prepare it, you will need a saucepan, water, a jar of blue vitriol, a container in which the main part of the experiment will be carried out (a vessel with transparent walls is best for this purpose, since you will need to monitor the growth of the crystal daily). Also, for the implementation of the task, a sheet of paper, a match and a thread will come in handy (best of all, if it is not fleecy, but, for example, silk or made of similar material).
So, we proceed to the first stage of making a crystal from copper sulfate at home. A pot of water must be put on a slow fire. When the liquid is already warm enough, but still does not have time to boil, you need to pour a few tablespoons of copper sulfate into it. Water should be stirred until the blue substance is completely dissolved.
Repeating this step multiple times
When this happens, add a couple more tablespoons of copper sulfate. The liquid must again be thoroughly stirred.
Do not be afraid if this time not all the crystals of the substance were able to dissolve, and some of them formed a precipitate at the bottom of the pan. The appearance of such an excess just indicates that you have achieved the desired result - namely, you have received a supersaturated solution. If this did not happen, then it is necessary to add a few more tablespoons of vitriol to the water and stir again. These steps will have to be repeated until sediment appears at the bottom of the pan.
Making "bait"
Such a fishing term is sometimes called crystals of copper sulphate of small size, which serve as the basis for further growing stones from this substance.
To make them, you need to take three small particles. When choosing crystals, one must take into account the criterion for the correctness of their shape. The more perfect the selected pieces are, the more correct and better the clot obtained as a result of your experience will be.
Three particles are placed at the bottom of a transparent vessel and filled with a supersaturated solution of vitriol.
After that, the container is covered with a sheet of paper and placed in a place with the most stable temperature conditions. As a rule, experts recommend placing it on the windowsill.
This place in the apartment is considered the most secluded, and therefore nothing can interfere with the implementation of the experiment. After all the necessary actions have been taken, all further steps in growing a crystal from copper sulfate at home can be postponed for 2 days. During this time, the particles placed in the liquid should grow several times and reach the size of a match head.
Selection of the best applicant
Of these ingots, it is necessary to select the one that has the most correct shape. This is the so-called "bait". Next, you need to make again a supersaturated solution of copper sulfate. How to do it is described in the previous chapters. It should be filtered through cheesecloth and poured back into a transparent container. The crystal chosen as "bait" must be tied to a thread, the other end of which must be fixed on a match.
Take a sheet of paper and make a hole in the middle of it of such a size that a manufactured pebble of blue vitriol can freely pass through it. Pass a thread through this hole so that the crystal is on one side of the sheet, and the match is on the other. After that, cover the jar with this paper. In this case, the match, of course, should lie on top, and the crystal should float in the liquid.
Patience and more patience
The task of how to make a crystal from copper sulfate is almost solved. Now you just need to put the vessel back in a secluded place and wait.
It is necessary to ensure that the crystal, if possible, is in the center of the jar and does not come into contact with the walls. This can be achieved by moving a sheet of paper and adjusting the length of the thread with a match as the crystal grows.
Various ways
We bring to your attention a few more master classes. Copper sulphate crystals can be grown in a slightly different way.
The second way is to place the jar with the "bait" in a thermally insulated container or wrap the jar in a blanket or other warm thing. In this way, a slower cooling of a supersaturated solution can be achieved. This option is more complex than the one described earlier, but as a result of its application, pebbles of a very regular shape are obtained. The next way to grow a crystal from copper sulfate is the easiest.
No need to make a "bait". A thread is placed in a container with a supersaturated solution. In this case, it is best to choose one that is made from the most fleecy material. Its end is tied to a faceted pencil, which is placed on top of the can on its walls. The crystal will form on the thread itself.
Depending on the temperature conditions, the cultivation experience can last from one week to several months.
