Many people get acquainted with the process of growing crystals at school in physics lessons. Growing a crystal is not difficult, but it takes a long time. Crystals of various shapes, sizes and colors can be grown if desired.
It is necessary
- Lemon acid
- Plastic disposable cups
- Yellow marker
- Water
- Gloves
- Stirring stick
- Tweezers
- Fishing line
- Disk
- Pencil
- UV light source
- Funnel
- Coffee filter
- Colorless varnish
Instructions
Step 1
Take a plastic cup (do not carry out the experiment in a food container). Pour 100 ml of water into a container.
Step 2
Take the marker and disassemble it. Remove the rod with tweezers, squeeze the dye into a glass of water. The operation should be carried out with gloves.
Step 3
Take citric acid. Pour 160 g into the solution. The liquid in the glass will change color. The solution can be prepared within a week. If the citric acid is completely dissolved, you need to add more. Divide the contents into 2 cups in order to speed up the process. Leave the solution for a week, stirring it 5 times a day. If you want to take this step much faster, you need to prepare the solution in hot water.
Step 4
After a week, aggregates should form at the bottom of the cup. This indicates that the solution is ready for crystal growth.
Step 5
Filter the solution in a coffee filter placed in a funnel. Pour the filtrate into a clean plastic cup.
Step 6
Leave the filtered solution until seed crystals form on the bottom and walls. After their formation, drain the liquid into another glass. Select a seed crystal.
Step 7
Tie the crystal to the fishing line. This procedure can take 10-15 minutes.
Step 8
Gently dip the crystal into the solution. You can attach the fishing line to a pencil or make a cover from an unnecessary disc. This will allow less dust to enter the solution and the crystal will be cleaner. Staining will most likely occur in places where defects are formed.
Step 9
After a week, pour the solution into another container. This is due to the fact that new crystals are formed at the bottom of the glass and its walls, which interfere with the growth of the main crystal. Excessive growths on the line must be removed.
Step 10
After a week, repeat step 9. Then repeat this step until a crystal of the required size grows.
Step 11
Dry the crystal with the solution on it. This will give a more glowing effect. Detach the line. Cover with colorless varnish. When UV light hits the crystal in the dark, it will glow.
