The magic part of the magic crystal Christmas tree is partly how quickly the crystals grow and partly the whole notion of a paper or sponge tree magically sprouting crystal foliage. This project is a variation on the charcoal crystal garden, except the crystals are grown on a tree form.
Magic Crystal Christmas Tree Materials
* 6 tablespoons or 90 ml water
* 6 tablespoons or 90 ml table salt (preferably uniodized)
* 6 tablespoons or 90 ml Mrs. Stewart's liquid laundry bluing
* 1 tablespoon or 15 ml household ammonia
* food coloring (optional)
Make the magic solution by dissolving the salt in the water and stirring in the bluing liquid and the ammonia.
Grow a Magic Crystal Christmas Tree
There are couple of different ways you can go here. You can cut a sponge into the shape of a Christmas tree, set it in a shallow dish, and pour the crystal solution over the sponge. Set the dish someplace where it won't be disturbed. You can dot the sponge with food coloring (like ornaments), if desired. Depending on the temperature and humidity, crystals may start to appear on the sponge Christmas tree in less than an hour. You should have a nice set of crystals if you let the dish sit out overnight.
The other method is to cut out a cardboard or blotting paper Christmas tree. If you make two of these trees, you can cut one halfway down the top and the other halfway up from the bottom, match the cut ends together, and create a standing 3-dimensional tree. You can decorate your tree with food coloring ornaments. Set this tree in a shallow dish that contains the crystal growing solution. Crystal 'leaves' will start to grow on your tree as the liquid is wicked up the paper and evaporates.
If you can't get laundry bluing, you can get inexpensive kits to grow magic crystal Christmas trees.
Rabu, 02 Desember 2009
Glow in the Dark Alum Crystals Glowing Crystals You Can Grow in Your Kitchen
Alum crystals are among the quickest, easiest, and most reliable crystals you can grow. Did you know you can make them glow in the dark by adding a common household ingredient to the crystal growing solution?
Glow in the Dark Alum Crystal Materials
* fluorescent highlighter pen (I used yellow, but you can use another color for different colored glowing crystals. Check to make certain the highligher will glow under an ultraviolet or black light. Pretty much all yellow highlighers glow, as do most other colors. Many blue pens will not glow.)
* alum (sold as a pickling spice)
* water
Grow Glowing Alum Crystals
1. Carefully cut open the highlighter and remove the strip that contains the ink. You may want to wear gloves, since highlighter can stain your fingers.
2. Pour 1/2 cup of hot tap water into a clean container.
3. Squeeze the highlighter strip into the water to color it with the fluorescent ink. Discard the ink strip when you are finished.
4. Slowly stir in alum, a little at a time, until it stops dissolving.
5. Loosely cover the jar with a coffee filter or paper towel (to keep dust out) and allow the jar to sit undisturbed overnight.
6. The next day, you should see small alum crystals at the bottom of the container. If you don't see crystals, allow more time. You can let these crystals grow, though they will conpete with each other for material. Alternatively, you can use one of these crystals to grow a large single crystal.
Growing a Large Single Crystal
1. If crystals are present, pour the alum solution into a clean jar. Collect the small crystals, which are called seed crystals.
2. Tie nylon line around the largest, best-shaped crystal. Tie the other end to a flat object (e.g., popsicle stick, ruler, pencil, butter knife). You will hang the seed crystal by this flat object into the jar far enough so that it will be covered in liquid, but won't touch the bottom or sides of the jar. It may take a few tries to get the length just right.)
3. When you have the right string length, hang the seed crystal in the jar with the alum solution. Cover it with the coffee filter and grow a crystal.
4. Grow your crystal until you are satisfied with it. If you see crystals starting to grow on the sides or bottom of your jar, carefully remove your crystal, pour the liquid into the clean jar, and put the crystal in the new jar.
Making the Crystal Glow
When you are satisfied with your crystal, remove it from the crystal growing solution and allow it to dry. Just shine a black light (ultraviolet light) on the crystal to make it glow. Depending on the ink you used, the crystal may glow under fluorescent light or sunlight.
You can display your crystal or store it. You can wipe dust from a display crystal using a cloth, but avoid dampening it with water or else you will dissolve part of your crystal. Crystals kept in storage may be wrapped in paper for added protection from dust and changed in temperature and humidity.
Glow in the Dark Alum Crystal Materials
* fluorescent highlighter pen (I used yellow, but you can use another color for different colored glowing crystals. Check to make certain the highligher will glow under an ultraviolet or black light. Pretty much all yellow highlighers glow, as do most other colors. Many blue pens will not glow.)
* alum (sold as a pickling spice)
* water
Grow Glowing Alum Crystals
1. Carefully cut open the highlighter and remove the strip that contains the ink. You may want to wear gloves, since highlighter can stain your fingers.
2. Pour 1/2 cup of hot tap water into a clean container.
3. Squeeze the highlighter strip into the water to color it with the fluorescent ink. Discard the ink strip when you are finished.
4. Slowly stir in alum, a little at a time, until it stops dissolving.
5. Loosely cover the jar with a coffee filter or paper towel (to keep dust out) and allow the jar to sit undisturbed overnight.
6. The next day, you should see small alum crystals at the bottom of the container. If you don't see crystals, allow more time. You can let these crystals grow, though they will conpete with each other for material. Alternatively, you can use one of these crystals to grow a large single crystal.
Growing a Large Single Crystal
1. If crystals are present, pour the alum solution into a clean jar. Collect the small crystals, which are called seed crystals.
2. Tie nylon line around the largest, best-shaped crystal. Tie the other end to a flat object (e.g., popsicle stick, ruler, pencil, butter knife). You will hang the seed crystal by this flat object into the jar far enough so that it will be covered in liquid, but won't touch the bottom or sides of the jar. It may take a few tries to get the length just right.)
3. When you have the right string length, hang the seed crystal in the jar with the alum solution. Cover it with the coffee filter and grow a crystal.
4. Grow your crystal until you are satisfied with it. If you see crystals starting to grow on the sides or bottom of your jar, carefully remove your crystal, pour the liquid into the clean jar, and put the crystal in the new jar.
Making the Crystal Glow
When you are satisfied with your crystal, remove it from the crystal growing solution and allow it to dry. Just shine a black light (ultraviolet light) on the crystal to make it glow. Depending on the ink you used, the crystal may glow under fluorescent light or sunlight.
You can display your crystal or store it. You can wipe dust from a display crystal using a cloth, but avoid dampening it with water or else you will dissolve part of your crystal. Crystals kept in storage may be wrapped in paper for added protection from dust and changed in temperature and humidity.
Grow a Big Alum Crystal
Alum is found in the 'spices' section of the grocery store. With a bit of time and effort, you can grow a big alum crystal.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Days to Weeks
Here's How:
1. Pour 1/2 cup of hot tap water into a clean jar.
2. Slowly stir in alum, a little at a time, until it stops dissolving. Don't add the whole amount - just enough to saturate the water.
3. Loosely cover the jar with a coffee filter or paper towel (to keep dust out) and allow the jar to sit undisturbed overnight.
4. The next day, pour the alum solution from the first jar into the clean jar. You will see small alum crystals at the bottom of the jar. These are 'seed' crystals that you will use to grow a big crystal.
5. Tie nylon fishing line around the largest, best-shaped crystal. Tie the other end to a flat object (e.g., popsicle stick, ruler, pencil, butter knife). You will hang the seed crystal by this flat object into the jar far enough so that it will be covered in liquid, but won't touch the bottom or sides of the jar. It may take a few tries to get the length just right.
6. When you have the right string length, hang the seed crystal in the jar with the alum solution. Cover it with the coffee filter and grow a crystal!
7. Grow your crystal until you are satisfied with it. If you see crystals starting to grow on the sides or bottom of your jar, carefully remove your crystal, pour the liquid into the clean jar, and put the crystal in the new jar. Other crystals in the jar will compete with your crystal for alum, so it won't be able to get as big if you let these crystals grow.
Tips:
1. You can use sewing thread or other string instead of nylon fishing line, but crystals will grow on the entire length of the submerged string. Crystals don't adhere to nylon, so if you use it, you can get bigger, better crystals.
2. Alum is an ingredient used to make pickles. It makes them crispy.
What You Need:
* 1/2 c hot tap water
* 2-1/2 T alum
* nylon fishing line
* pencil, ruler, or knife
* 2 clean jars
* spoon
* coffee filter/paper towel
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Days to Weeks
Here's How:
1. Pour 1/2 cup of hot tap water into a clean jar.
2. Slowly stir in alum, a little at a time, until it stops dissolving. Don't add the whole amount - just enough to saturate the water.
3. Loosely cover the jar with a coffee filter or paper towel (to keep dust out) and allow the jar to sit undisturbed overnight.
4. The next day, pour the alum solution from the first jar into the clean jar. You will see small alum crystals at the bottom of the jar. These are 'seed' crystals that you will use to grow a big crystal.
5. Tie nylon fishing line around the largest, best-shaped crystal. Tie the other end to a flat object (e.g., popsicle stick, ruler, pencil, butter knife). You will hang the seed crystal by this flat object into the jar far enough so that it will be covered in liquid, but won't touch the bottom or sides of the jar. It may take a few tries to get the length just right.
6. When you have the right string length, hang the seed crystal in the jar with the alum solution. Cover it with the coffee filter and grow a crystal!
7. Grow your crystal until you are satisfied with it. If you see crystals starting to grow on the sides or bottom of your jar, carefully remove your crystal, pour the liquid into the clean jar, and put the crystal in the new jar. Other crystals in the jar will compete with your crystal for alum, so it won't be able to get as big if you let these crystals grow.
Tips:
1. You can use sewing thread or other string instead of nylon fishing line, but crystals will grow on the entire length of the submerged string. Crystals don't adhere to nylon, so if you use it, you can get bigger, better crystals.
2. Alum is an ingredient used to make pickles. It makes them crispy.
What You Need:
* 1/2 c hot tap water
* 2-1/2 T alum
* nylon fishing line
* pencil, ruler, or knife
* 2 clean jars
* spoon
* coffee filter/paper towel
Selasa, 01 Desember 2009
Seed Crystal Instructions How to Grow a Seed Crystal
A seed crystal is a small single crystal that you put in a saturated or supersaturated solution to grow a large crystal. Here's how to grow a seed crystal for any chemical that dissolves in water.
Materials Needed to Grow a Seed Crystal
* chemical you want to crystallize (here are some recommended recipes)
* distilled water (tap water is usually okay)
* shallow dish (e.g., petri dish or a saucer)
* heat source (stove, microwave, or hot plate)
* nylon line (like for fishing)
Make a Solution
Ideally you would know the solubility of your chemical at different temperatures so that you could estimate how much of the chemical is needed to make a saturated solution. Also, this information is useful in figuring out what to expect when you cool your solution. For example, if the substance is much more soluble at a higher temperature than at a lower temperature, then you can expect crystals to form very quickly as you cool the solution (e.g., sugar crystals). If the solubility doesn't change much over your temperature range, you will have to rely more on evaporation to cause your crystals to grow (e.g., salt crystals). In the one case, you cool your solution to stimulate crystal growth. In the other case, you keep the solution warm to speed up evaporation. If you know your solubility, use that data to make a solution. Otherwise, here's what to do:
* Heat about 1/4 cup (50 ml) of water in a glass container. A metal container may react with your chemical; a plastic container may melt. I boil water in the microwave in a pyrex measuring cup. (Be careful not to superheat your water! It tends not to be a problem with microwaves that rotate the container, but be careful anyway.) For crystals that fall out of solution easily, you may only need water heated to coffee pot temperatures or even hot tap water. When in doubt, boil the water.
* Stir in your chemical. Keep adding it until it stops dissolving and a little accumulates in the container. Give it a couple of minutes. Stir the solution again and add more solute (the stuff you are dissolving) if needed.
* Pour some solution into a petri dish or saucer. Only pour the clear solution into the dish, not any of the undissolved material. You may wish to filter the solution through a coffee filter.
* Crystals will form as the solution evaporates. You may remove a crystal before the solution fully evaporates, if desired. To do this, pour off the solution and carefully scrape off the crystal. Otherwise, you can wait until the solution has evaporated. Select the best crystal and carefully remove it from the dish.
Using Your Seed Crystal
Now that you have the seed crystal, it's time to use it to grow a big crystal:
* Tie the crystal onto nylon fishing line with a simple knot. You want nylon and not 'normal' thread or string because they are porous, so will act as a wick for your solution, and because they are rough and will attract crystal growth away from your seed crystal. If the container you use to grow your crystals is completely clean and smooth and the line is nylon, your seed crystal should be the most likely surface for crystal growth.
* You may need to scrape small grooves in your seed crystal so that it won't slip off of the nylon line. Nylon is not the easiest material to use to tie a knot.
* Suspend your seed crystal in a saturated or supersaturated crystal solution so that it is completely covered. You don't want the crystal to touch the sides or bottom of the container. If your crystal solution isn't concentrated enough, your seed crystal will dissolve.
* You made a saturated solution for your seed crystal, so you can use that procedure (except with more water and crystal chemical) to grow the 'real' crystal.
* To supersaturate a solution, you make a saturated solution at a high temperature, then slowly cool it (with some exceptions, but I'll save that for another time). For example, if you dissolve as much sugar as possible in boiling water, the solution will be supersaturated by the time it gets to room temperature. A supersaturated solution will produce crystals quickly (often over the course of a couple of hours). A saturated solution may require days or weeks to produce a crystal.
* Let your crystal grow in an undisturbed location. You may wish to cover the solution with a coffee filter or paper towel to keep dust or whatever from contaminating the solution.
* Once you are happy with your crystal, remove it from the solution and allow it to dry.
Materials Needed to Grow a Seed Crystal
* chemical you want to crystallize (here are some recommended recipes)
* distilled water (tap water is usually okay)
* shallow dish (e.g., petri dish or a saucer)
* heat source (stove, microwave, or hot plate)
* nylon line (like for fishing)
Make a Solution
Ideally you would know the solubility of your chemical at different temperatures so that you could estimate how much of the chemical is needed to make a saturated solution. Also, this information is useful in figuring out what to expect when you cool your solution. For example, if the substance is much more soluble at a higher temperature than at a lower temperature, then you can expect crystals to form very quickly as you cool the solution (e.g., sugar crystals). If the solubility doesn't change much over your temperature range, you will have to rely more on evaporation to cause your crystals to grow (e.g., salt crystals). In the one case, you cool your solution to stimulate crystal growth. In the other case, you keep the solution warm to speed up evaporation. If you know your solubility, use that data to make a solution. Otherwise, here's what to do:
* Heat about 1/4 cup (50 ml) of water in a glass container. A metal container may react with your chemical; a plastic container may melt. I boil water in the microwave in a pyrex measuring cup. (Be careful not to superheat your water! It tends not to be a problem with microwaves that rotate the container, but be careful anyway.) For crystals that fall out of solution easily, you may only need water heated to coffee pot temperatures or even hot tap water. When in doubt, boil the water.
* Stir in your chemical. Keep adding it until it stops dissolving and a little accumulates in the container. Give it a couple of minutes. Stir the solution again and add more solute (the stuff you are dissolving) if needed.
* Pour some solution into a petri dish or saucer. Only pour the clear solution into the dish, not any of the undissolved material. You may wish to filter the solution through a coffee filter.
* Crystals will form as the solution evaporates. You may remove a crystal before the solution fully evaporates, if desired. To do this, pour off the solution and carefully scrape off the crystal. Otherwise, you can wait until the solution has evaporated. Select the best crystal and carefully remove it from the dish.
Using Your Seed Crystal
Now that you have the seed crystal, it's time to use it to grow a big crystal:
* Tie the crystal onto nylon fishing line with a simple knot. You want nylon and not 'normal' thread or string because they are porous, so will act as a wick for your solution, and because they are rough and will attract crystal growth away from your seed crystal. If the container you use to grow your crystals is completely clean and smooth and the line is nylon, your seed crystal should be the most likely surface for crystal growth.
* You may need to scrape small grooves in your seed crystal so that it won't slip off of the nylon line. Nylon is not the easiest material to use to tie a knot.
* Suspend your seed crystal in a saturated or supersaturated crystal solution so that it is completely covered. You don't want the crystal to touch the sides or bottom of the container. If your crystal solution isn't concentrated enough, your seed crystal will dissolve.
* You made a saturated solution for your seed crystal, so you can use that procedure (except with more water and crystal chemical) to grow the 'real' crystal.
* To supersaturate a solution, you make a saturated solution at a high temperature, then slowly cool it (with some exceptions, but I'll save that for another time). For example, if you dissolve as much sugar as possible in boiling water, the solution will be supersaturated by the time it gets to room temperature. A supersaturated solution will produce crystals quickly (often over the course of a couple of hours). A saturated solution may require days or weeks to produce a crystal.
* Let your crystal grow in an undisturbed location. You may wish to cover the solution with a coffee filter or paper towel to keep dust or whatever from contaminating the solution.
* Once you are happy with your crystal, remove it from the solution and allow it to dry.
How to Grow Great Crystals Tip, Tricks, and Techniques
Do you want to grow great crystals? These are general instructions for growing crystals that you can use for most crystal recipes. You can find the recipes and information on crystal structures in the Growing Crystals section. Here are the basics, to get you started and help you troubleshoot problems:
What Are Crystals?
Crystals are structures that are formed from a regular repeated pattern of connected atoms or molecules. Crystals grow by a process termed nucleation. During nucleation, the atoms or molecules that will crystallize (solute) are dissolved into their individual units in a solvent. The solute particles contact each other and connect with each other. This subunit is larger than an individual particle, so more particles will contact and connect with it. Eventually, this crystal nucleus becomes large enough that it falls out of solution (crystallizes). Other solute molecules will continue to attach to the surface of the crystal, causing it to grow until a balance or equilibrium is reached between the solute molecules in the crystal and those that remain in the solution.
The Basic Technique
* Make a saturated solution.
* Start a garden or grow a seed crystal.
* Continue growth.
In order to grow a crystal, you need to make a solution which maximizes the chances for the solute particles to come together and form a nucleus, which will grow into your crystal. This means you will want a concentrated solution with as much solute as you can dissolve (saturated solution). Sometimes nucleation can occur simply through the interactions between the solute particles in the solution (called unassisted nucleation), but sometimes it's better to provided a sort of meeting place for solute particles to aggregate (assisted nucleation). A rough surface tends to be more attractive for nucleation than a smooth surface. As an example, a crystal is more likely to start forming on a rough piece of string than on the smooth side of a glass.
Make a Saturated Solution
It's best to start your crystals with a saturated solution. A more dilute solution will become saturated as the air evaporates some liquid, but evaporation takes time (days, weeks). You will get your crystals more quickly if the solution is saturated to begin with. Also, there may come a time when you need to add more liquid to your crystal solution. If your solution is anything but saturated, then it will undo your work and actually dissolve your crystals! Make a saturated solution by adding your crystal solute (e.g., alum, sugar, salt) to the solvent (usually water, although some recipes may call for other solvents). Stirring the mix will help to dissolve the solute. Sometimes you may want to apply heat to help the solute dissolve. You can use boiling water or sometimes even heat the solution on the stove, over a burner, or in a microwave.
Growing a Crystal Garden or 'Geode'
If you just want to grow a mass of crystals or a crystal garden, you can pour your saturated solution over a substrate (rocks, brick, sponge), cover the setup with a paper towel or coffee filter to keep out dust, and allow the liquid to slowly evaporate.
Growing a Seed Crystal
On the other hand, if you are trying to grow a larger single crystal, you will need to obtain a seed crystal. One method of getting a seed crystal is to pour a small amount of your saturated solution onto a plate, let the drop evaporate, and scrape the crystals formed on the bottom to use as seeds. Another method is to pour saturated solution into a very smooth container (like a glass jar) and dangle a rough object (like a piece of string) into the liquid. Small crystals will start to grow on the string, which can be used as seed crystals.
Crystal Growth and Housekeeping
If your seed crystal is on a string, pour the liquid into a clean container (otherwise crystals will eventually grow on the glass and compete with your crystal), suspend the string in the liquid, cover the container with a paper towel or coffee filter (don't seal it with a lid!), and continue to grow your crystal. Pour the liquid into a clean container whenever you see crystals growing on the container.
If you selected a seed from a plate, tie it onto a nylon fishing line (too smooth to be attractive to crystals, so your seed can grow without competition), suspend the crystal in a clean container with saturated solution, and grow your crystal the same way as with seeds that were originally on a string.
Keeping Your Treasures
Crystals that were made from a water (aqueous) solution will dissolve somewhat in humid air. Keep your crystal beautiful by storing it in a dry, closed container. You may wish to wrap it in paper to keep it dry and prevent dust from accumulating on it. Certain crystals can be protected by being sealed with an acrylic coating (like Future floor polish), although applying the acrylic will dissolve the outermost layer of the crystal.
What Are Crystals?
Crystals are structures that are formed from a regular repeated pattern of connected atoms or molecules. Crystals grow by a process termed nucleation. During nucleation, the atoms or molecules that will crystallize (solute) are dissolved into their individual units in a solvent. The solute particles contact each other and connect with each other. This subunit is larger than an individual particle, so more particles will contact and connect with it. Eventually, this crystal nucleus becomes large enough that it falls out of solution (crystallizes). Other solute molecules will continue to attach to the surface of the crystal, causing it to grow until a balance or equilibrium is reached between the solute molecules in the crystal and those that remain in the solution.
The Basic Technique
* Make a saturated solution.
* Start a garden or grow a seed crystal.
* Continue growth.
In order to grow a crystal, you need to make a solution which maximizes the chances for the solute particles to come together and form a nucleus, which will grow into your crystal. This means you will want a concentrated solution with as much solute as you can dissolve (saturated solution). Sometimes nucleation can occur simply through the interactions between the solute particles in the solution (called unassisted nucleation), but sometimes it's better to provided a sort of meeting place for solute particles to aggregate (assisted nucleation). A rough surface tends to be more attractive for nucleation than a smooth surface. As an example, a crystal is more likely to start forming on a rough piece of string than on the smooth side of a glass.
Make a Saturated Solution
It's best to start your crystals with a saturated solution. A more dilute solution will become saturated as the air evaporates some liquid, but evaporation takes time (days, weeks). You will get your crystals more quickly if the solution is saturated to begin with. Also, there may come a time when you need to add more liquid to your crystal solution. If your solution is anything but saturated, then it will undo your work and actually dissolve your crystals! Make a saturated solution by adding your crystal solute (e.g., alum, sugar, salt) to the solvent (usually water, although some recipes may call for other solvents). Stirring the mix will help to dissolve the solute. Sometimes you may want to apply heat to help the solute dissolve. You can use boiling water or sometimes even heat the solution on the stove, over a burner, or in a microwave.
Growing a Crystal Garden or 'Geode'
If you just want to grow a mass of crystals or a crystal garden, you can pour your saturated solution over a substrate (rocks, brick, sponge), cover the setup with a paper towel or coffee filter to keep out dust, and allow the liquid to slowly evaporate.
Growing a Seed Crystal
On the other hand, if you are trying to grow a larger single crystal, you will need to obtain a seed crystal. One method of getting a seed crystal is to pour a small amount of your saturated solution onto a plate, let the drop evaporate, and scrape the crystals formed on the bottom to use as seeds. Another method is to pour saturated solution into a very smooth container (like a glass jar) and dangle a rough object (like a piece of string) into the liquid. Small crystals will start to grow on the string, which can be used as seed crystals.
Crystal Growth and Housekeeping
If your seed crystal is on a string, pour the liquid into a clean container (otherwise crystals will eventually grow on the glass and compete with your crystal), suspend the string in the liquid, cover the container with a paper towel or coffee filter (don't seal it with a lid!), and continue to grow your crystal. Pour the liquid into a clean container whenever you see crystals growing on the container.
If you selected a seed from a plate, tie it onto a nylon fishing line (too smooth to be attractive to crystals, so your seed can grow without competition), suspend the crystal in a clean container with saturated solution, and grow your crystal the same way as with seeds that were originally on a string.
Keeping Your Treasures
Crystals that were made from a water (aqueous) solution will dissolve somewhat in humid air. Keep your crystal beautiful by storing it in a dry, closed container. You may wish to wrap it in paper to keep it dry and prevent dust from accumulating on it. Certain crystals can be protected by being sealed with an acrylic coating (like Future floor polish), although applying the acrylic will dissolve the outermost layer of the crystal.
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