Crystal Growing Experiment #1

Since most nonliving substances are crystals, you can find crystals almost everywhere. They're in sugar and salt, rocks and sand, ice and snow, rubies and diamonds. You'll like looking at crystals with a magnifying glass because you can see fascinating patterns.

Growing a beautiful crystal takes patience.

Here is what you need:
Aluminum Sulfate
Water
A saucer
Two jars
Thread
Filter paper
Card board
Scissors
A pencil

1. Measure 2 tablespoons (30mL) of Aluminum Sulfate. Stir into 1/4 cup (60mL) of hot tap water to dissolve.
2. Pour the solution into a saucer, and set aside in a safe place. Over the next day or two, the water will evaporate and leave behind aluminum sulfate crystals.
3. Pick one of the largest, best formed crystals, and use it as a seed to grow a large crystal.
4. Tie a long thread around the crystal. Set aside in a clean, dry place.
5. Put 4 table spoons (60mL) of Aluminum Sulfate into a clean a clean hot jar.( To make the jar hot rinse under hot water).
6. Boil water in a microwave oven. CAUTION: You need adult help with boiling water. Very slowly pour hot water into the jar. Stir until all the Aluminum Sulfate dissolves. (You are creating a supersaturated solution. More Aluminum Sulfate dissolves in hot water than could dissolve in cold water. As the hot water cools, the Aluminum Sulfate stays in solution.)
7. Allow the solution to cool. Some grains of Aluminum Sulfate should remain on the bottom of the jar.
8. Pour the cool solution through the filter paper into the second jar.
9. Hang the threaded crystal from step 4 in the center of the solution. Here's how:
   Cut the cardboard into a square slightly larger than the diameter of the jar.
   With the scissors, cut a slit from one side to the center of the cardboard.
   Wind the thread around the pencil so that the seed crystal nearly touches the bottom of the jar but does not rest on it.
   Slide the thread into the slit in the cardboard.
   Place the cardboard and pencil on top of the jar so that the seed crystal hangs in the solution.
10. Put the jar in a cool place where no one will disturb it. You can expect the solution to evaporate slowly, since the cardboard acts as a cover to prevent it from evaporating too fast. From time to time, you'll need to add more cooled solution of 4 tablespoons (60mL) of Aluminum Sulfate and enough hot water to dissolve it. Be patient. It may take a couple of weeks to develop a good crystal. Sometimes, instead of "glowing" a seed crystals dissolves, usually because the solution got to warm. If that happens, you'll have to start of over again.
11. Store you crystal carefully.

You can grow beautiful crystals in colors. Use the directions from above and replace the Aluminum Sulfate with:
Blue: Copper Sulfate
Yellow: Potassium Chromate
Blue-Green: Ferrous Sulfate
Dark Red: Cobalt Chloride

For growing crystals in a various of odd shapes, from long needles to double pyramids. Follow the directions for growing a beautiful crystal, but instead of Aluminum Sulfate, add one of these other salts:
Sodium Thiosulfate
Borax
Potassium Sodium Tartarate