Making crystals as science experiments for kids by Paul Doiron

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Making crystals as science experiments for kids
by Paul Doiron

Making crystals as science experiments for kids
If you have kids, you know how they can love to play with rocks! And how they can be amazed by crystals.

How about showing them how to make some themselves? Here is a good science experiments for kids.

What you'll need is:
A pint-sized jar
A straight stick about six inches long
Some string (dental floss will do)
A paper clip
A microwave
Water
Sugar (about 2 1/2 cups)
What to do:
1.Tie a string around the middle of a stick. Attach a paper clip to the other end.
2.Remove the string and pour about 1 cup of water into the pint-sized jar.
3.Have an adult microwave the water in the jar until the water is slowly boiling (about 2 minutes).
4.Set the jar on a table and begin adding sugar, allowing it to disappear into the water.
BE CAREFUL! THE JAR IS VERY HOT!
5.Stop adding sugar if it seems like no more sugar is disappearing into the water.
6.Put the string back into the jar, put the jar in a safe place and wait.
DON'T HANDLE THE JAR

What is going to happen?
As the water cool down, the sugar dissolved in the water precipitate on the string to form crystals.
Sometimes, if you put too much sugar into the water and you are patient, one huge crystal can form!
To add to the fun, you could add some food coloring drops to color the crystals.

Tips & Warnings
-Place a paper towel over the top of the jar to keep dust from getting into the crystals.
-If the string hanging from the pencil is too long when you place it in the solution, just roll the pencil between your hands until the string wraps around it and the length of string hanging down becomes shorter.
-Use a glass jar that can withstand the heat of the boiled water or wait until the boiled water cools down. Use caution around the hot water.

This is how science experiments for kids should be: simple and interesting.
Have fun!

Author's Biography:

Paul Doiron is passionate by science for as long as he can remember. He likes to find easy experiments to show kids how interesting science is. Here is his blog: http://scienceexperimentsforkids.tumblr.com

Posted on: March 13,2008

Email: scienceexperiements4kids@gmail.com
Website: http://scienceexperimentsforkids.tumblr.com/post/25951352