Growing crystals of copper sulfate. How to grow a crystal from copper sulfate

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.

How to grow a crystal from copper sulphate at home - all about traveling to the site

Growing crystals at home is a very long, laborious and painstaking process, but it is very exciting and definitely worth the time spent. This experience is very popular with children, and most of the methods below are completely safe. So, consider the main ways to grow crystals at home.

How to grow a crystal from sugar at home

It is best to start your experiments on growing crystals at home with the most interesting and enjoyable ones. The easiest way to grow a crystal is from sugar, and if you do this experiment with children, they will be able to taste the fruits of their creativity at the end of the process.

In order to grow a crystal from sugar, we will need:

2 glasses of water;
5 glasses of granulated sugar;
wooden skewers;
paper;
small saucepan;
several clear glasses.

The process of making a crystal begins with the manufacture of sugar syrup. To do this, take 1/4 cup of water and two tablespoons of sugar. Mix, bring on fire until syrup is obtained. Dip a wooden skewer into the syrup and sprinkle with a little sugar. The more evenly the skewer is sprinkled, the more ideal and beautiful the crystal will come out. In a similar way, we make the required number of blanks and leave them to dry completely, for example, overnight.

Some time has passed, our skewers have dried out and now we can move on to the next part of the experience. Pour 2 cups of water into a saucepan and pour 2.5 cups of sugar. On low heat, stirring constantly, turn our mixture into a sugar syrup. Stirring must be carried out carefully, until the sugar is completely dissolved! Add the remaining 2.5 cups of sugar and also, until completely dissolved, cook the syrup. After that, leave the syrup to cool slightly, this will take approximately 15-20 minutes. This time we continue to prepare blanks from skewers, the basis for our future crystal. We cut paper circles a little larger than the diameter of our glasses and pierce the resulting circles with chopsticks. The main thing is that the paper is firmly fixed on the skewer. The paper will act as the holder and lid for the glass.

Pour the cooled, but still hot syrup into glasses. At this stage, a little food coloring can be added to the syrup, then the crystal will eventually turn out to be colored. We lower our blank (a stick with a circle of paper) into the glass and leave it alone until the crystal ripens. It is important not to touch the walls and bottom! Well, we do the same with all the remaining blanks.

It will take about a week to grow a crystal. This is a very interesting and exciting process that children really like. Every day the crystal grows and takes on its individual shape. Some crystals grow faster, some slower, but the bulk matures in exactly 7 days. The resulting sugar crystal is very good to use with the whole family at a home tea party or just nibble in moments of blues! So, it's not only interesting, but also delicious;).

How to grow a crystal from salt at home

Growing a crystal from salt at home is a fairly simple process, but it requires patience and care. However, the result of the experiment exceeds all expectations. We will need:

pure water;
pot;
2 glass jars;
salt;
strong thread.

We heat water in a saucepan, we heat it very much, and do not bring it to a boil, the experiment will not work in boiling water. After heating the water, we gradually begin to pour salt into it, stirring constantly until the portion of salt is completely dissolved. Then add more salt, stir until dissolved. And so on until the salt ceases to dissolve. Pour the resulting saturated saline solution into a jar and let it stand well for a day. The next day we will see a lot of small crystals of settled salt in the jar. We choose the most beautiful and largest of them, carefully take it out and tie it to a thread. Carefully pour the solution into an empty jar, making sure that the settled crystals do not fall into a new vessel. Then we lower the crystal on a thread into a filtered saline solution and stock up on patience. After 2-3 days you will notice an increase in the crystal, this growth will continue for some time until the end of growth. After you notice that the crystal has stopped growing, you can either end the experiment if you are satisfied with the result, or prepare another saturated saline solution, as we did above, and lower our crystal there. By the way, if you often change the salt solution, then the growth of the crystal will be faster.

It is very important not to cool the solution on purpose and not to shake it, in this case crystals of an imperfect shape are obtained. Also, do not add any dyes, the crystal will not be colored, and the experiment will be ruined.

How to grow a crystal from copper sulfate at home

Growing crystals from copper sulphate at home is already the next level of complexity, which requires compliance with safety requirements and can only be performed by children under adult supervision.

For the experiment we need:

water, preferably distilled;
glass jar;
copper salt (copper sulfate or copper sulfate, which can be bought at a gardening store).

Before buying, be sure to consider the substance, it should be a bright blue homogeneous powder. In the presence of lumps and green blotches, it is better to refuse the purchase. It will go to summer residents on the farm, but we, novice chemists, will not.

So, the correct vitriol is purchased. Pour about 100 grams of powder into a glass jar and pour a little hot water, stirring constantly. We must get a saturated solution in which the copper salt can no longer dissolve. Filter the solution and put it in the refrigerator. The next day at the bottom we will find many crystals. We select a couple of the largest and most beautiful and place them in a container with a filtered solution. Before that, we act with crystals in the same way as in the previous experiment with table salt, namely, we fix it on a thread and lower it into a jar. We cover the vessel with thin paper and stock up on patience. Growing a crystal from copper sulfate takes several weeks. After the formation of the crystal is completed, it must be carefully removed, rinsed with cold running water and coated with colorless nail polish.

Growing salt crystals on different objects as an interesting art form or just as a science experiment is easy and fun! In this tutorial, I'll show you how to make a salt crystal with 3D printed grids and structures, but you can grow them at home on just about anything you can imagine...even themselves.

The process is simple and it takes about an hour to actively prepare and carry out, and then the crystal grows over several days.

If you grow it as an introductory science experiment, you can demonstrate at home how solutions are created and how crystalline forms of salt form. Watching this is fun and interesting!

I embarked on this experiment to see if I could influence the shape so that they grow in a certain way or a certain size, which is based on the lattice structure on which they are grown.

Step 1: Required Components

To grow your salt crystals you need:

Salt. Can be grown with almost any salt, however best results are achieved with copper sulfate or magnesium sulfate. You can also experiment with kitchen salt, sea salt, pink salt, and more. If you are using copper sulfate, wear nitrile gloves! In my experiments, I use magnesium sulfate.
Distilled water
A clean container, at least 5cm wider than the crystal you want to grow. Transparent containers have an advantage here over colored ones, as you can see through them what is growing inside, and if you also use kitchen utensils, you will be sure that your container is not afraid of heat and will not burst.
The object on which the crystal will grow, or the string, experiment with lattice structures, as I did!
Something to hang your object in solution on: a stick, chopstick, wire, string, etc.
A pot large enough to boil the right amount of water and salt for the project.
Spoon for mixing.

Step 2: Create the Salt Solution

Measure the volume of water:

Put an object in a container
Fill the object container with water to find out how much water you need
Pour the water into the measuring container to determine the resulting volume

Measure the amount of salt: 3 parts water to 1 part salt (there will be a little less than 30% salt in the solution)
Boil water.
After boiling, reduce the heat of the stove to low.
Pour the salt into the water and stir until it is completely dissolved. Turn off the stove.
Carefully pour the solution into the container with the object placed in it.
Place the container with the solution in the place where you will leave it for the duration of the growth.

Step 3: Place the Object or String in the Salt Solution

To simply grow a salt crystal:

Place a chopstick or spoon in the top middle of the container
Wind the string around the center of the stick/spoon so that it hangs down and is immersed in the solution about 4 cm or more from the bottom of the container.
Leave the container where it won't be touched and watch the crystal grow

To grow a salt crystal on an object:

Do almost the same as in the previous list. Hang the object on a string so that it hangs at least 5 cm from the bottom of the container. You can hang an object with sticks or wires.

Since I used lattice structures, I suspended them both with wire and with chopsticks.

Step 4: Wait for the crystals to grow

Do not disturb the container, but watch your crystals grow.

I advise you to leave the container for at least 1 day, but for best results allow 3 days for growth. At some point, most of the salt will be in the crystal and it will simply stop growing.

Step 5: Gently Pull Your Crystals Out of the Solution

When you determine that it has grown to the desired size and shape, gently pull it by the string, or pull it out of the solution. If they are connected to your object through the entire container, then use a knife to carefully detach them from the walls of the container, being careful not to damage the structure of your creation.

Step 6: Do you want bigger crystals?

Before removing a string or object from the devices you used to hang it, consider whether you want to grow an even larger crystal. If so, repeat the process and your crystals will get bigger. Each time you only need to make a new saline solution.

If you will be repeating the process to grow larger crystals, it is very important to allow the water to cool to room temperature after boiling the water and creating the brine before lowering the structure into the solution.

If you do not cool the water, then it will dissolve the already prepared ones and you will, as it were, start over.

Step 7: Samples of my work

These are photos of the same crystals that went through three saline solutions, look at the size difference.

I achieved a relatively smooth transition from object to crystal, each time dropping the object deeper into the solution.

Step 8: Enjoy the results!

Once you have grown them to the desired size, carefully separate the string/object from the fixtures you used to hang them and let the finished piece dry on a napkin.

In future experiments, you can try using tap water, bottled water, colored water, and you can also use different types of salt, such as iodized salt, iodine-free salt, sea salt, etc.

Growing them on different structures, have you noticed a difference in their shape?

I was surprised to find that crystals grown at different levels of the white plastic printed object grew at different sizes.

Step 9: More Growing Experiments

Step 10: More Growing Information

The study of crystals and their structure is called crystallography. A crystal is a solid made up of various atoms or molecules arranged in a uniform, repeating pattern based on its unique shape. This leads to the fact that the material has a certain shape and color and has other characteristic properties.

They may be large or small, but they all have the same "shape". Salt and sugar are examples. Table salt NaCl has a cubic structure. Snow crystals form a hexagonal structure. Diamond (used in jewelry and cutting tools) is also an example; it is pure carbon. Graphite (used in pencils and lubricants) is also a crystal made from carbon.

How do crystals grow?

In solution, the solvent (water) can only hold a certain amount of solute. This is called the solubility of the solution. If the temperature of the solution is increased, then hot water will be able to dissolve more of the solid than cold water. This is because the heated water molecules move further apart, leaving room for the more solid to dissolve. When a solid ceases to dissolve, the solution is said to be saturated.

As this solution cools, the water molecules move closer again, leaving less room in the solution to hold the same amount of dissolved solid. As the water releases the excess solute, at this point the crystals begin to form and build on top of each other. This process is called recrystallization and, depending on the conditions, you can get a mass of numerous small or one large crystal.

How do crystals form and how do we control its growth rate?

In this experiment, you will grow crystals from a saturated solution. During recrystallization, the beginning of the crystal growth process is called "nucleation". Crystallization can be initiated by dust particles on the surface of the solution, but this situation is uncontrollable. To obtain controlled growth, the "seed crystal" is tied to a piece of thread and dipped into the solution. As the temperature of the solution continues to drop, more crystals accumulate on the thread. The speed at which crystallization occurs will affect the quality. The best ones are the ones that grow SLOWLY.

KEY TERMS

A crystal is a solid body with a specific geometric shape. The shape consists of smooth, flat surfaces that meet at sharp edges or corners.

Crystallography is a branch of chemistry that studies crystals and their structure.

Nucleation - When dissolved molecules in a saturated solution collide with a dust particle or a hard surface (such as a string or seed crystal), they will tend to adsorb and accumulate on the surface. The hard surface provides a nucleation site for crystal formation.

Recrystallization is a process that has been used to purify a solid by dissolving it in an appropriate liquid and then getting the material to come out of solution in crystalline form.

A saturated solution is a solution in which the maximum amount of solutes is dissolved in the solvent.

The seed crystal is the initial surface for the growing one.

The shape of a crystal is atoms that occupy positions with certain geometric relationships to each other. This structural arrangement of its atoms is uniquely determined by the chemistry of the substance and determines the shape. In crystallography, shapes can be grouped into seven systems: cubic, tetragonal, hexagonal, trigonal, orthorhombic, monoclinic, triclinic.

Solubility - The maximum amount of a solute that can be dissolved in a given volume of solvent at a given temperature is known as the solubility of the solute. The solubility of a solute generally increases with increasing temperature.

A solution is a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances. For example, sugar dissolved in water is a solution.

A solvent is a liquid in which a solute is dissolved. In this project, the solvent is water.

Man strives to be on a par with nature in everything. Today he can do a lot. Surrogate motherhood, nano technologies, what can we say about the artificial reconstruction of the structure of minerals. And not in some heavy-duty laboratory, but at home, one might say, on the kitchen table. Yes, yes, today anyone can find out how to grow a crystal, and even easily deal with it.

Crystal at home

Each of us with this word imagines transparent, large, colorless or bright polyhedrons with brilliant ideal edges. They owe their exceptional qualities to their structure: crystals and amorphous bodies are distinguished by the existence in the internal structure of the first strict crystalline lattice. If we imagine that a person has decreased by a million times and found himself inside a glass cube, then around him he would see a chaotic heap of various molecules. But if you look inside even the smallest crystal, you can see a completely different picture: on different sides, rigidly ordered ranks of molecules, ions or atoms stretch endlessly, which obey the laws of strict symmetry that rule in the world of regular crystals.

To realize how common substances with a crystalline structure are in the surrounding nature, you just need to remember that most rocks are made up of crystals. But the entire crust of the Earth is built precisely from rocks.

Growing crystals is a very exciting thing, and if you do it with children, it is also educational.

And although in creating crystals at home we can equalize with nature, but first, perhaps, it would be worthwhile to familiarize yourself with the rules for growing a crystal from a solution.

Before studying that how to grow a crystal at home, it is important to remember the basic safety rules when experimenting with toxic salts:

it is impossible to use food utensils during the experiment, since its subsequent use during meals can provoke poisoning of the body;
you can not eat food at the same time as conducting experiments, which can also cause poisoning;
it is impossible to use unknown reagents for experiments;
All chemicals should be stored in sealed containers in a dry, safe place that is out of the reach of small children and animals. On it you need to make an inscription that will inform about the content;
gloves and protective clothing should be used during the experiments;
experiments, accompanied by even the smallest release of harmful compounds, must be carried out in laboratory fume hoods;
If the solution comes into contact with the skin, immediately rinse the area with clean running water. If acid gets on the skin, then you need to treat the body with a weak solution of alkali. And vice versa: when alkali gets on the skin, the affected area is treated with a slightly acidic solution. If the solution gets on the mucous membranes or in the eyes, then you should immediately go to the hospital, and before that, rinse them with water.

After such a briefing, you can begin to work on growing crystalline substances using even the most aggressive components. But it's best to start with absolutely affordable, safe and even pleasant ingredients. The most popular experience how to grow a crystal from sugar.

Children love sugar skewers.

Such crystals are often attached to expensive varieties of tea and look very tasty and beautiful. Yes, so much so that you don’t even want to stir tea with them - it’s a pity! In addition, this wand alone costs about 160 rubles: you must admit, it’s very expensive. But they can be grown much cheaper yourself. So, for one sugar crystal on a stick you will need:

water - two glasses;
sugar - five glasses;
wooden skewers or sticks for mini-skewers;
thin paper;
pot;
transparent cups;
food coloring if you want to grow a multi-colored crystal.

When you prepare a sweet solution, start preparing "skewers". Tie two twigs together. The first will serve as a “fishing rod”, and the second will serve as a mount.

Place the twigs (or toothpicks) in the syrup and wait.

For that,. a week is enough for a sugar crystal to grow.

After the seven-day period, enjoy the sweet.

It all starts with taking a quarter cup of drinking water and a couple of tablespoons of granulated sugar. On fire, sugar is brought to dissolution and syrup is obtained. Then a little sugar crumbles on a piece of paper, the stick is dipped in syrup and crumbles in sugar. You need to make sure that its cubes stick evenly on all sides of the stick, which will make the crystal even. Then several similar sticks are prepared, which are left until they are completely dry so that the saccharins do not crumble when they get into the hot syrup. After all, if this happens, then subsequently the crystal will not have anything to cling to and it will not be able to grow. Therefore, it is better to prepare the sticks ahead of time, for example, in the evening, and leave them to dry overnight. Then a saucepan is taken, water is poured into it - two glasses, and sugar is poured out - two and a half glasses.

As fasteners, you can use clothespins.

The syrup is put on a small fire and, with constant stirring, all the sugar dissolves. The remaining sugar is poured into the resulting syrup - two and a half glasses, and boiled until it is completely dissolved. After turning off the fire, the syrup is left on the stove for another 20 minutes. While it is cooling, sticks are being prepared. Papers are taken and pierced with a skewer. You don’t need to make a hole very wide, because the point is that this piece of paper sits tightly on a skewer.

Then the hot syrup is poured into glasses. It is necessary that it is the hot syrup that is poured, because otherwise the crystals will not grow. If you want to know the way how to grow a crystal at home, and even colored, then everything is simple: a little food coloring is added to the syrup. The workpiece is lowered into the glass, but so that the sugar does not touch its walls and bottom. And the piece of paper in this case is both a holder for a stick and a lid for a cup, which protects the syrup from dust. The same procedure is done with all the remaining blanks: they are placed in glasses and left to grow for about 7 days.

sugar crystals

DIY sugar crystals

Children will watch this process with interest, as every day the crystal will increase. But we must be prepared for the fact that they will all grow in different ways: some quickly, while others will need a much longer period of time. But when after a week there are no changes, you will have to repeat everything from the beginning. Most often, beautiful crystals grow in just a week. A few unfinished ones can be left to ripen for the same time. Well, have a delicious tea party! True, such a sugar crystal can simply be absorbed like a lollipop.

sugar crystals

One of the easiest ways how to grow salt crystal at home, will require from its performers not only to be smart with the solution, but also to stock up on remarkable patience. So:

For work you will need:

drinking water
small saucepan
transparent glass container (the best option is a jar)
a pack of table salt
silk thread.

Water is poured into the pan and put on fire, but it is not brought to a boil: the solution should turn out hot, but not boiling water. After heating the pot with water, salt is poured into it in small portions, while the solution must be constantly stirred. A new portion of salt is added when the previous one has already completely dissolved. The concentration of the solution should be such that grains of salt cease to dissolve in it. For the role of breakfast, the largest of the crystals is selected from the already fully settled brine.

Now the concentrate can be considered ready. It should be poured into a glass jar and let it stand for about a day. This must be done so that small, undissolved particles of salt fall to the bottom. On the second day, you can see many small crystals in the jar. You need to choose the largest of them and get it, and then tie the crystal to a thread or attach it to a wire. This will turn out the seed, the presence of which is important before how to grow salt crystal. Then the solution must be poured into an empty container, but so that small crystals do not fall. When this is not done, the particles of salt crystals will begin to take the substance from the solution on their growth.

Then the seed is lowered into the solution poured separately, and you should be patient. But while the crystal is forming, there are some important tips for growing it. With the rapid cooling of the salt solution, the crystal grows in a minimum time, but its shape will be geometrically irregular, but the crystals grown with a gradual decrease in temperature will take more time, but they will amaze with their perfect beauty. You should also not shake the jar with a growing crystal, just as you should not take it out until the process, in your opinion, is finally completed.

Boil water and immediately pour into a jar.

Add 2-3 tablespoons of salt to the mixture and stir with a spoon until even small particles dissolve.

Add the rest of the salt and mix thoroughly.

Now you have a saturated solution ready.

Shake the jar well.

Tie a string around a pencil or stick.

Trim the excess length so that the string does not touch the bottom of the jar.

Dip the end of the rope into the jar.

Leave the jar in a warm sunny place for 1-3 weeks. Check the lace regularly, it will gradually become covered with white crystals.

Instead of a rope, you can use an iron ring, then the crystals will grow in a circle.

These figures clearly show how the crystals grow.

This is how the thread with crystals will change over time. On average, it takes 2-3 weeks to grow a crystal.

Very beautiful crystals do not grow from ordinary salt, but from alum. Alum is a double salt and can be bought at any pharmacy, as it is a drug that is used as a hemostatic and cauterizing agent. They are cheap - about 12 rubles. Now we will demonstrate a master class on growing crystals from alum. They turn out to be very regular and beautiful in shape and grow faster than salt crystals.

As you can see, this crystal is the correct shape compared to a regular salt crystal.

Aluminum sulfate costs from 8 rubles and is sold at a pharmacy. It is often used as a hemostatic agent, for example when you cut yourself while shaving.

For the experiment, it is better to use two cups so that there is a choice of good crystals. Bring half a liter of water to a boil and dissolve six tablespoons of alum in it. Leave the cups for a week.

This is how alum crystals grow within a week.

There are too many small alums in the second glass, which is why we immediately decided to grow the crystals in two glasses, and not in one.

Choose crystals of the correct shape and large sizes and place them on a paper towel.

This is how we grew one large crystal of irregular shape. If you do not want to grow such an awkward crystal, saw off a large part from it.

Separated part of the crystal. We will continue to grow it.

Tie the crystal to the thread.

It is very convenient to use an ice cream stick, it will not slip or fall, unlike a wooden pencil.

Place the crystal in the alum solution, it is prepared in the same way, only the ingredients can be halved (a glass of water, 3 tablespoons of alum)

A week later, our crystal has grown significantly.

The crystal has the shape of an octahedron. Remember, the crystal doesn't change shape as it grows, whatever shape you choose for the seed crystal, that's how it will continue to grow.

The structure of salt crystals is cubic, so all crystals are in the form of cubes, unlike alum crystals, which can have a variety of shapes.

The photo shows how the salt crystals gradually grow.

Depending on the saturation of the solution, the crystals may grow faster or slower.

This crystal is about 2 weeks old.

And this crystal grew for at least 3 weeks.

If you want to conduct an interesting experiment with a child, choose bright materials and a saturated solution, so the crystal will be more visible and interesting to the baby.

Here such a crystal can be grown on a string or fluffy Christmas tree tinsel.

Make a solution and place a rope in it.

In a week, natural processes will do their job and transparent “icicles” will appear on the string.

Salt grows in regular cubes or parallelepipeds.

salt crystals at home

Salt and sugar alone are not enough for the most inveterate alchemists. In addition, they are interested, for example, how to grow copper sulfate crystal. But the technique below is suitable for growing absolutely all types of crystals.

To grow a sufficiently large crystal from an aqueous solution of copper sulfate, you will need:

a glass or plastic container of any size, but preferably transparent and colorless, so that you can easily spy on the growth of crystals in it. The plastic version is convenient in that crystals do not adhere to it. If the jar is larger, then this will allow you to grow a much larger crystal. But it is also important to take into account the fact that the larger the jar, the more solution will have to be prepared and the larger portion of the reagent will be required;
copper sulfate or copper sulfate, which can be bought not only in a chemical store, but also in a gardening store. Although it will not be clean enough, it is not so important. Before you buy salt, you need to consider the substance. To do this, the package contains a small strip of transparent polyethylene, through which a bright blue powder should be visible. In the presence of large lumps, especially green ones, it is better to refuse to buy, because such vitriol was probably stored at high humidity and is oversaturated with a huge amount of impurities. You will have to suffer with it when growing crystals, and therefore it is better to contact another similar store.

Growing crystals from copper sulfate is perhaps the most popular. They are beautiful in shape and grow quite quickly.

Copper sulfate is used in horticulture and agriculture as a fungus and mold control agent. Copper sulphate is quite toxic, so in experiments it is recommended to use disposable or non-food utensils and wash your hands thoroughly.

For the experiment, we need 100 gr. copper sulfate per 100 ml of water. Stock up on 300 ml of water and 300 gr. vitriol, respectively.

Put the jar in a water bath and pour hot water into it, dissolve 100 g in water. vitriol.

Transfer after 10 min. vitriol from the first jar to the second. After a while, check the bottom of the jar, seed crystals should form there.

Try to choose crystals of the correct form 1-2 mm long. Dry them on a paper towel, try not to touch them with your hands, use tweezers.

Prepare 200-300 ml of the solution and, after tying the seed crystal with a thread, place it in the solution.

Prepared thus, there is nothing left, how to grow a crystal from vitriol. So, a container is taken and copper sulfate is poured into it. You don’t need to pour a lot, 100 grams will do for a start. Salt is poured with hot water (better, of course, distilled, but not necessary). Then you can use two ways. First, a seed is taken, that is, a small crystal. The more there are, the more crystals will come out. A little water pours, and the solution is constantly stirred. It should become so saturated that the grains of salt at the bottom cannot dissolve. The solution is filtered while still hot and placed in a cold place, but not covered with a lid. On the second day, the bottom of the container is covered with a bunch of small crystals. It is necessary to select from them a couple of pieces of the most even and largest. You can also choose according to your taste - those that you liked the most. A solution for crystals can be prepared in the same way, but add a little more water, cool, and then filter thoroughly.

Copper sulphate is a poisonous compound, but you can buy it at any garden store.

There are two ways to obtain crystals from vitriol: cooling and evaporation, but most experimenters still prefer evaporation.

It takes 4-6 hours to grow a copper crystal.

It should be noted that after a few hours the crystal will lose its luster as the water evaporates from it. To prevent this, varnish the crystal. So it will not only remain shiny for a long time, but also become non-toxic and you can safely pick it up.

These wonderful crystals are the mineral chalcanthite. It is formed from copper sulfate naturally in nature.

When the solution and the seed are ready, you need to rinse the seed under running water, but you don’t need to touch it with your hands, since blue vitriol is still a chemical substance, and fingerprints may remain on the seed, causing the crystal to begin to take on an irregular shape. Then the seed is carefully placed in a container with a filtered and cooled solution. It can be placed at the bottom, as a result of which the crystal will grow only in width and length. The best option would be to hang the seed on the fishing line: when using a thread, many small crystals can grow on it, but this will not happen on the fishing line. The second end of the fishing line is tied to a pencil or other similar long object, and then the crystal is placed in the solution. the length of the fishing line must be adjusted so that the seed hangs on it in the middle of the solution itself. So the crystal should grow evenly in all directions. The container is placed in a place with a constant temperature and covered with a sheet of paper. And not cardboard, under which even small crystals will grow for several months, but under thin paper only a few weeks. Once a week, the solution should be filtered from the precipitated crystals. This will grow beautiful bluish-blue crystals with parallelogram-shaped edges. When their size is right for you, they need to be pulled out, rinsed in running cold water, wiped with a napkin and opened with several layers of colorless varnish, and nail polish will do. Such a crystal is freely taken in hand, wetted with water, which will not harm it in any way, because the varnish will completely protect the fragile substance. But you should not treat them less carefully, so as not to accidentally destroy the beauty. Do you also want to become a magician and try to grow such a wonderful crystal with your own hands? Then do not waste time, because you will need it to create an ordinary miracle!

It looks like the growth of a crystal of copper sulphate. The first day.

And so the crystal grew in a week. Eighth day.

The longer the crystal grows, the larger it becomes.

In eight days, the crystal has time to grow by 2 cm.

A deep blue color is a sign of a good crystal.

This is how the crystal looks on the 11th day of growth.

Change the solution often, do not forget to filter it.

12th day of growth.

In copper sulfate, crystals grow in various shapes, but most often they are treclinic.

If you chose the evaporation process, then get ready that the crystal will grow for a long time - at least 14 days, during the cooling process it grows faster - only 24 hours, but it can be irregular and even unpredictable in shape.

During the experiment, do not use iron objects, as vitriol reacts with iron.

This crystal is already 22 days old.

You can even grow crystals for a whole month.

Growing a crystal is painstaking work, but the result is worth it.

Experiment with children, but be careful with blue vitriol, it is toxic.

This crystal is 42 days old.

One and a half months is not a period, you can continue to grow until you get bored.

This crystal is 52 days old.

This video shows how to grow a crystal from ordinary salt.

This video shows how to grow a crystal from blue vitriol.

The manufacturing process is no less attractive than the gift itself. Try to do it together with the children - there will be no limit to delight.

Read also:

Making a beautiful crystal

Here are the main steps.

Preparation

The tool can be purchased at any agricultural store. The use of this substance is found on the farm, with the help of it they fight pests. Using vitriol at home, you need to remember that it is toxic. When working with the substance, hands must be protected with gloves, and the respiratory tract with a bandage. It is best to wash your hands as often as possible.

Required:

when carrying out the procedure, prepare the water, it should not be from the water supply, since it has a high content of chlorine, this substance will react with vitriol and only worsen the quality of the crystals. In extreme cases, boiled water can be used;
copper sulfate;
wire;
a thin thread or hair, the crystals become transparent when grown, so the thread should not be visible;

cultivation

For manufacturing, two methods are used. First for those who doesn't like to wait. It is made in 7 days, and the result will be many crystals attached to each other. Another method is long, but the result will surprise you, the resulting piece will be solid and like a gem.

Fast way

You will need a bank of 0.5 liters, you need to add 200 grams of copper sulfate to it, the mixture is poured with a glass of water. The jar should stand on a sand stove, when heated, the mixture should be constantly stirred, the grains of the powder should be completely dissolved;

After the mixture has become homogeneous, the dishes are removed from the bath and placed on a cold surface. The mixture should come to room temperature. The copper sulfate crystal will serve as a seed for the solution, it should be even and large;

Nothing should touch the walls of the glass. If everything does not dissolve in the liquid, then it's okay. When cooled, the solution gives off salt, in turn, it remains on the thread. Most of the vitriol settles at the bottom, since contact with the cold surface occurs fastest there. To make it more convenient to lower the thread into a glass, you can fix it on a pencil, and put it on the surface.

The thread with crystals must be removed from the solution.

The procedure with heating the mixture in a sand bath is repeated, after the precipitate has dissolved, the bath is turned off, the dishes must be covered with a lid and wait for the solution to cool.

The thread is placed in the solution and fixed so that the substance does not touch the bottom and walls of the glass. Leave the container overnight, in the morning formations of an interesting shape will be found in the dishes;

Crystal shape can be changed replacing the thread with a wire, because it can be bent into any shape, heart, square. The wire will serve as a good frame. If it is necessary to make sure that on some faces they stop growing, they must be greased;

Second method

To get a large crystal, it will take more time and the choice of seed must be approached responsibly, the larger and smoother the formation, the more beautiful the product will turn out.

It will take 200 ml of water and 100 grams of vitriol.

Vitriol is mixed with water in a jar or glass and left for a day. The substance must be stirred so that it dissolves. Next, the solution is filtered, and what remains at the bottom can be used again to prepare the solution;

The solution that was obtained is poured into another container;

For seeding, you need to tie a “pebble” to a thread, the other end is best fixed on a stick and placed horizontally on a glass. Then you need to lower it vertically, the dishes should be covered with a cloth to prevent dust from entering;

After a few days, the product will grow, increase every day;

It may be difficult to make a crystal, but to avoid this, you should:

If you want to get a single pebble, then the solution should be poured into a clean container and a large crystal should be placed there;
Crystals can also form on the thread, and to prevent this from happening, you need to raise the main one higher so that the thread does not come into contact with water;
Instead of a woolen thread, you can use nylon or thin wire, but if you change the base, the formation will grow longer;
Important keep the temperature otherwise, at elevated temperatures, the crystal may dissolve, if this happens, then you should add a couple of tablespoons of copper to the solution and let it brew for 6 hours, while stirring the mixture. The solution is drained so that there is no residue in it, then the experiment is repeated;

The product loses moisture under the influence of air and after a while collapses, so you need to store the substance in a cool place in a tight container.