Every talented teacher knows that in order to teach a child something new, he must be interested. Today on sale you can find ready-made kits for creativity and entertaining experiments that can not only arouse a child’s interest, but also hold him for a long time. Try growing “magic” crystals at home - this experiment will bring a lot of pleasure not only to children, but also to their parents.
Home crystallization kits
Our parents carried out experiments on growing crystals at school. Today you can find ready-made kits for conducting such an experiment on sale. What are their advantages?
Using a ready-made set, a child can not only grow “magic” crystals on his own. On sale you can find shaped bases for crystallization, beautiful stands, as well as a set of personal protective equipment for a young chemist. Often the set also contains a memo with a scientific explanation of the experiments and questions to test the acquired knowledge.
Crystals in nature and industry
Most crystals in nature grow slowly—thousands or millions of years. Some crystals grow very quickly, for example, crystals of soluble salts (sulfur, hematite tablets) in the craters of active volcanoes.
Crystals form when a substance or complex of substances changes from a liquid or gaseous state to a solid. Crystal growth begins with the formation of nuclei and skeletal forms. With a long-term uniform and unhindered flow of matter from all sides, normal crystalline forms arise, but in most cases the crystals are constrained in their growth by neighboring bodies (neighboring crystals). This leads to the formation of imperfect crystals with distorted edges, since the supply of solutions feeding the crystal occurs unevenly from different sides.
But the uses of crystals in industry are numerous and varied. For example, rock salt has long and forever entered human life. In everyday life we call it simply salt, in technology we call it table or food salt. People have long appreciated the incomparable taste of salt. In ancient times, the countries where it was imported paid a price equal to gold: for a kilogram of salt - a kilogram of gold sand.
Natural crystals have always aroused people's curiosity. Their color, shine and shape touched the human sense of beauty, and people decorated themselves and their homes with them. The hardest and rarest of natural minerals is diamond. Today, a diamond is primarily a working stone, not a decoration stone. Due to its exceptional hardness, diamond plays a huge role in technology.
Diamond saws are used to cut stones. The entire watch industry runs on artificial rubies. Quartz crystal is used in telephone handsets. And the most beautiful, most wonderful variety of quartz is rock crystal, i.e. transparent quartz crystals. Therefore, lenses, prisms and other parts of optical instruments are made from transparent quartz. Crystals played an important role in many technical innovations of the 20th century.
Mobile phones have become an integral part of our lives, digital photo and video cameras have already replaced film cameras, LCD TVs and monitors are gradually becoming obsolete. And now people often, looking at the wonderful, sparkling, iridescent polyhedrons of crystals, do not want to believe that they were created by nature and not by man.
Set of kits for young chemists
Each Magic Crystals kit contains reagents for chemical experiments and the basis on which they will be grown. The package may also include a container for growing and sticks for stirring the solution. Expensive sets are sometimes also equipped with an apron, gloves and goggles. These means of protection for the young experimenter are intended, of course, only to create an entourage. The experience of growing crystals is completely safe.
On sale you can find sets with pebble or figured bases. For example, the option “Magic crystals: Christmas tree” looks very interesting. In this set, the entire process takes place on a base made in the shape of a Christmas tree. The result of the experiment is an interesting craft - a Christmas tree consisting of greenish crystals.
“Magic crystals”: instructions for growing at home
Before you begin your entertaining research, carefully read the instructions for using all the components of the selected set. The standard work plan is as follows:
- Place the crystallization base in the growing container.
- Pour hot water into the appropriate reagent.
- Now you can add crystallization powder to the resulting solution. Add enough of it to leave undissolved grains. Once the active substance has stopped dissolving, you have a saturated solution. In this case, you should still have a few grains of the reagent left.
- Then pour the solution into the growing container until the liquid completely covers the base. In this case, the sediment should remain in the original container.
- Next, drop the remaining grains of reagent onto the bases for crystallization. These are the “seeds” from which your “magic” crystals will grow.
If, when pouring the solution, individual crystals float on its surface, remove them immediately. Now all that remains is to remove the container to a safe place and leave it for a while. Cover the top with a sheet of paper if the set does not include a cover.
Crystal growth will begin almost immediately. Remember to keep an eye on the container. It is necessary to drain the solution as soon as one of the crystals appears on the surface. After this, you need to take them all out and dry them for 24 hours.
Colored crystal: blue or blue with your own hands
How to grow a crystal from blue salt? Only with the use of special food dyes, which may not give a bright shade. When mixing salt and water, you should also add a small amount of blue. When the molecules begin to connect, the crystal will take on an unusual blue hue. To grow a bright blue stone, you will have to deal with copper sulfate.
You can buy this substance at any store for gardeners and summer residents. You need to do the same things with it as with salt. But since the chemical composition of copper sulfate can be hazardous to health, it is recommended to keep the solution out of the reach of children and animals. Here is the step-by-step process for creating a dark blue crystal:
- Saturate distilled water with copper sulfate until it stops dissolving.
- Dip the thread into the liquid for several hours so that a set of beautiful crystals forms on it. Choose the best one among them, put the rest back.
- Dip the thread with the small crystal into the saturated solution so that it does not touch the walls. Over the course of several weeks or months, the stone will acquire a blue color of incredible beauty.
- Cover the product with a special transparent varnish to protect it from weathering.
What to do with the grown crystal?
The experiment can be considered completed as soon as the crystallization process is completed. Where to put the finished “magic” crystals? The instructions from the kit usually do not answer this question.
If you do everything according to the instructions, the crystal will turn out beautiful and interesting. You can simply keep it as a keepsake or use it in some kind of craft. Crystallization on a figured base looks especially interesting. The finished product does not require additional decor and in itself looks interesting and unusual.
Lemon acid
Lemongrass is very soluble in water, making it difficult to grow large crystals.
You need to take:
- citric acid - 200 g;
- distilled water - 100;
- filter paper;
- container for solution;
- fishing line
Step by step description:
- Slowly dissolve 200 g of citric acid in 100 g of water, stirring constantly.
- Then we pass the solution through filter paper and leave the container in a room at room temperature so that cooling occurs as slowly as possible.
- The next day, crystals fall out, choose the most beautiful one and tie it to a fishing line.
- We filter the solution again and place the crystal in it.
- We repeat the procedure every 5–7 days. It is important to cover the container with the crystal with a loose lid so that the evaporation of water occurs more slowly.
- Remove small crystals on the surface of large ones with tweezers. In a month, a crystal up to 5–6 cm in length can grow.
Video: growing crystals from lemongrass
Safety during crystallization experiments
The instructions for the crystal growing kit usually state that children under 14 lei should conduct the experiment under adult supervision. Follow this simple rule, and the experience will bring you only positive emotions.
The reagents included in the kit are safe. But, of course, you cannot taste them, and if they come into contact with your skin, you should immediately wash them off with water. Ready-made crystals are also completely safe; they are strong enough to be handled. Just try to avoid contact with water - liquid can destroy the result of your experiment.
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The magical properties of crystals and how to charge them
I have long been looking for information about the properties of crystals and charging methods.
I collected the information from different sites)) The only negative is that I still don’t know what some stones look like, I’ll have to look for that later too)) The magical properties of crystals.
The effect of magical influence can be increased with the help of certain materials. One of these materials are crystals - minerals, semi-precious and precious stones. In occultism, the most important thing is the color and hardness of the stone, and not its chemical composition. Adding stones to a magical ritual, as a rule, enhances its power and effectiveness. Knowing the magical properties of crystals, you can choose those that will best influence the course of the ritual. Many stones need to get used to, many stones need to be tamed. They change color slightly when tamed. Try to use stones of the same color as the candles with which the magic ceremony is performed. The selected stone should not be too large and smoothly polished. Very often, it is nondescript stones that have more energy and can significantly increase your magical power. Use those stones that attract you, having a calming effect on you. Such stones are most suitable for magic. Stolen stones exhibit rather negative properties; those purchased after a few years become talismans. Genuine talismans are crystals given as a gift or inherited.
Apophyllite
— Provides balance, helps well with fortune telling and prediction.
White Opal
- Improves imagination and promotes creativity and passion.
Effective for nervous system disorders, relieves depression, improves memory, enhances feelings of fidelity, devotion, love and passion. Helps in the treatment of various infectious and colds, regulates the level of insulin in the blood. Selenite
- Brings sympathy, makes the mind clear, develops intuition, provides access to higher knowledge.
Agate -
Brings victory over opponents.
Aquamarine
— Strengthens a person’s spirit and exposes deception.
Gives insight into mystery, this is one of the most magical stones. Relieves toothache, helps in treating the stomach and liver. Azurite -
Opens the third eye chakra, strengthens mental and spiritual abilities, provides connection with higher consciousness, develops memory, and frees from inhibitions in communication.
Treats diseases of the joints and spine. Turquoise -
Protects, heals, improves mood.
Drives away negative energy, balances the masculine and feminine principles in a person. Helps to find a way out of a difficult situation. Used in the treatment of eye diseases. Blue Agate -
Increases the vibration of mental energy.
Helps in the treatment of diseases of the joints and bones, and is used for diseases of the nervous system and mental disorders. Blue quartz -
Calms, pacifies, relieves fear and anxiety.
Blue Tourmaline -
Improves mental awareness and imagination.
Helps in the treatment of lung and immune system diseases. Opens the third eye chakra. Makes its owner peaceful and accommodating. Lapis lazuli is
a stone of people who strive to renew their life circle, promotes the formation of new interests, and strengthens friendship.
Helps to implement unexpected plans and projects. Eliminates negative energy, improves clarity of thoughts, relieves stress. Relieves headaches, improves hearing, relieves depression, helps with respiratory diseases and injuries. Strengthens the immune system, eliminates insomnia, improves vision, relieves eye strain when working with a computer. Sapphire -
Gives fidelity, chastity and modesty, facilitates the concentration of strength.
Grants secret power, strengthens during trips and travels. Strengthens a person's informal power over other people. Gives the ability to teach others and lead them. Gives strength against all diseases of the soul and body, against infidelity, anger and fear. It is one of the stones that promotes good luck, prosperity and success. Helps stop bleeding, treats varicose veins, menstrual irregularities and various viral diseases. A stone with cracks, stains, and other defects is dangerous and can bring great misfortune. Chrysoprase -
Stone of invention.
Protects from dangers. Helps you concentrate. Calms, promotes trusting relationships between people, helps determine whether your interlocutor is sincere. Helps treat diseases of bones and joints, diseases of the blood, lungs and digestive system. Normalizes blood sugar levels. Chrysoprase, worn in a bracelet, is considered an excellent remedy against the evil eye, envy and slander; contemplation of it reduces pain in the eyes. Celestine -
Has powerful strength, promotes spiritual development. Helps immersion in the Astral, resurrection of dreams, clairvoyance and spiritual cleansing. For medicinal purposes it is used for diseases of the eyes and ears, to remove toxic substances from the body.
Yellow crystals
Aventurine -
The stone is associated with pure love.
Too much gullibility in handling the stone can lead to material losses in the future. Its magical significance is enormous, but it is difficult to work with, since the stone is capricious and changeable. It cannot be worn constantly. Yellow jasper -
Jasper protects a person from diseases, helps to straighten relationships at work, with superiors.
It can be used as a talisman when traveling. Helps you adapt to a new environment. Strengthens the endocrine system. Citrine is
the stone of jewelers and fortune tellers, but also the stone of swindlers and swindlers.
Associated with gambling. Increases self-confidence. Citrine is a stone with great energy, attracts money, success, good luck, and promotes prosperity. Develops intuition. Used in the treatment of mental illness. Stimulates business activity and helps to implement plans. Promotes business success. Yellow topaz
is a stone of revealing secrets, a stone of criminologists, hypnotists, a stone of influencing others, a stone of psychologists.
Gives insight into the mystery of life. Relieves irritability, regulates mood, creates a calm atmosphere in the home. Protects the house from burglars. Increases optimism and restores confidence. Used as protection against madness, insomnia and evil eyes. Wearing it around the neck is believed to relieve asthma attacks. Fluorite -
Has great protective power.
Relieves stress and tension. Stimulates sexual desire. Helps in the treatment of teeth, joint diseases and injuries. Used to change life for the better. Can be used for fortune telling. Strengthens physical health. Cat's Eye -
Brings good luck.
Promotes harmonious relationships, establishes a connection with nature. Has strong protective properties. Protects in love. Helps achieve material well-being. Strengthens family ties. Helps with eye diseases and vision correction. Relieves headaches. Golden beryl -
Develops telepathic abilities, helps to establish a connection with a parallel world. Opens the crown (crown) chakra.
Beryl -
Improves memory, relieves stress, calms.
Helps in the treatment of lung, kidney and blood diseases. Used for diseases of the throat, liver, heart, stomach, spine, and concussion. Emerald -
Considered a talisman of mothers and sailors.
Modern occultists see a definite connection between this stone and the unconscious actions of man. In it, like in a mirror, everything secret is reflected, the future is revealed. Worn around the neck to strengthen memory and improve vision. Set in gold, it protects against contagious diseases, love spells and insomnia. Promotes emotional and physical balance, encourages good deeds. Strengthens the heart chakra, promotes the manifestation of talent and abilities. Strengthens love relationships, ensures peace and happiness in the home, fidelity in love. Helps in the treatment of diseases of the lungs, spine, heart. Relieves toothache, migraines, pain during menstruation. Green calcite -
Helps determine the sincerity of the interlocutor, promotes spiritual development.
Used to cleanse the body and treat infectious diseases. Improves brain activity, helps with cerebrovascular disorders. Green fluorite -
Eliminates excess energy, calms, helps with stress.
Used in the treatment of infectious diseases, constipation. Jade -
In everyday life, it promotes change and breaking a dead end.
Establishes a calm, serene atmosphere in the home, relieves stress, and promotes harmony in family relationships. This is a stone of longevity, protects vital energy, regulates the functioning of the female genital organs. Helps with infertility and menstrual irregularities. Malachite is
a strong magical stone that requires constant attention.
It can attract the attention of other people too much to you, sometimes causing an unhealthy interest in the person who wears it. Stone of vital energy and transformation. Breaks unwanted connections. Helps to get rid of bad habits, develop patience and perseverance, and get rid of the consequences of negative experiences. Used in the treatment of asthma, fractures, tumors. Green Agate -
Strengthens the immune system, increases self-esteem, dispels negative energy, helps quit smoking, gives determination, develops initiative, helps resolve disputes.
Green Tourmaline -
Protects against negative energy. Generally regulates energy. Attracts money and wealth. Used to strengthen the immune system, for diseases of the nervous system, eyes and heart.
Amber
— Has medical value, is a universal body cleanser.
Helps with ear pain, sore throats and other respiratory diseases (asthma, bronchitis), relieves headaches and eye pain. Relieves nervous tension, increases perseverance, and helps make decisions. In magic it is used when there are insects in it, the most interesting one is the one in which there is a scorpion. The smoke from burning amber causes visions. Topaz
- Strengthens energy and directs it in the right direction.
Maintains stable health and good mood. Increases energy. Tiger's Eye -
Helps you make decisions and achieve a certain goal.
Promotes good aspirations and motives. Regulates the body's energy and helps adapt to environmental changes. Helps in establishing connections with other realities. It has the properties of a talisman in economic activities. Protects against unreasonable pangs of jealousy. Promotes the transformation of a person, his magical remake. This stone is a true magician's stone. Brown Agate -
Increases connection to the earth and strengthens sexual energy.
Calms, helps get rid of fears. Used in the treatment of diseases of the stomach and central nervous system, vision problems. Brown (smoky) quartz -
Removes toxins from the body and helps cleanse it.
Protects against the harmful effects of radiation and chemotherapy. Neutralizes negatives. Jasper
- Opens the main chakra and prolongs the pleasure of sexual intercourse. If the owner is not completely clean and strong, he may give him over to the power of Satan. When given as a gift, it gives rise to hostile feelings towards the donor and becomes a cause of discord. If it is given as a gift, it gives rise to hostile feelings towards the donor and becomes a cause of discord.
Pomegranate -
It is a source of energy replenishment.
Gives rise to strong passionate desires. Controls causeless attacks of aggression. Treats curvature of the spine, diseases of the circulatory system and lungs. Restores. Promotes the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Can be used to enhance the effects of other crystals. Ruby -
Stone of power, brilliance, vanity.
Provides energy and stimulates the heart chakra. Helps with heart disease, affects sexuality, pregnancy and childbirth. Red Jasper
- The stone can be used to establish the truth in controversial situations. Moderates the severity of bleeding and helps in the treatment of female diseases. Sharpens the sense of smell.
Orange calcite -
A stone of joy, happiness and well-being.
Gives a desire for life, increases sexual desire, helps to reproduce dreams in memory. Increases potency and helps get rid of the feeling of inferiority in sexual relations. Carnelian (carnelian) -
Gives courage and strength, protects.
Helps in cases of weakening energy, helps get rid of many fears, including the fear of death. Used to quickly achieve a goal. Helps relieve back and joint pain, and depression. Orange celestine -
Promotes good luck in business, helps achieve good luck.
Pink crystals
Pink tourmaline -
Gives recognition and creative strength, is considered a talisman for artists.
Treats depression, improves mood. Provides trusting relationships between lovers. Increases physical and sexual activity. Regulates the endocrine system. Helps to realize love desires. Rose quartz
is a stone of love.
Increases self-esteem, teaches you to love yourself and increases faith in your own strength. Opens the heart chakra, allowing you to find your love. Calms the heartbeat. Heals burns, helps with circulatory problems. Helps in the treatment of childhood diseases such as measles and chickenpox. Treats herpes zoster in adults. Pink Carnelian
- Strengthens the relationship between parents and children, creates a happy atmosphere.
Establishes stability in the home, relationships, increases sexuality. Helps with allergies and hay fever. Pink Agate
- Develops courage and self-confidence.
This is a stone of reliability, connects with nature. Kunzite is
a stone of love and spiritual communication.
Helps with meditation, restores strength after depression and disappointment. Protects against negative energy. Cleanses the aura. Moscovite -
Helps with immersion in the Astral. Eliminates uncertainty, helps in difficult situations, enhances intuition. Regulates blood sugar levels and is effective for kidney diseases.
Amethyst (Ceylon amethyst) -
Stone of peace and balance.
Amethyst protects against intoxication, it smooths out wrinkles so that they do not deepen, and removes freckles. It is placed under the pillow to promote happy dreams. It has powerful healing and protection powers, cleanses the aura, strengthens the nervous system, and calms. Protects against stress, relieves anger, rage, helps fight fears. Eliminates physical pain, treats cellulite, helps with diseases of the hearing and nervous system, increases the production of hormones. You cannot wear it in gold - only in silver. Fluorite -
Calms, relaxes, improves memory, helps to concentrate.
Treats teeth and gums, reduces back pain. Sugalite -
Stone of love. Provides connection with other realities, promotes clairvoyance, reflects negative energy. Reduces headaches.
Jet -
The secret of the hidden foundations of our karma, family, ancestors, traditions helps to achieve.
Used in necromancy and black magic. Protects against nightmares, helps overcome night terrors. Softens the pain of separation, gives oblivion in love. Reveals deception. Protects against violence, stabilizes the situation. Maintains financial stability. Worn in a bracelet as a remedy for gout. Helps in the treatment of migraines, epilepsy, tumors. Obsidian -
The stone is a savior, protects from any difficult deeds, and makes it impossible to commit sins.
Attracts success in business. Protects against black magic. Helps get rid of bad habits. Relieves negative energy during periods of difficult experiences. A very strong crystal, it is not advisable to use it for a long time. Sardonyx -
Stone of religion, ideology, information, science.
Associated with victory over time, can be used for astral travel and clairvoyance. Secures the future. Absorbs everything negative, cleanses, absorbs and removes negative energy. Onyx -
Gives you the opportunity to concentrate energy in yourself, the ability to insist on something, the ability to break through.
It can be used to combat black magic and get rid of negative energy. Helps in getting rid of alcohol and drug addiction. Develops extrasensory abilities. Promotes longevity. Black Tourmaline -
Witches Stone. The stone is also a talisman, eliminating damage and the evil eye. Regulates hematopoiesis, cleanses the blood and strengthens blood vessels. Eliminates the harmful effects of radiation. Strengthens the immune system, treats arthritis.
Transparent crystals
Diamond - Grants virtue, courage and victory. On the hand of the criminal it acts against him. Symbolizes love and deep spiritual connection. Helps you gain courage. It never benefits the person who bought it. Treats sclerosis and apoplexy, the immune system, prevents the formation of stones. Increases the effect of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. A diamond with spots inside is considered the most unlucky and fatal stone. Quartz - Has great power. Used to cleanse and enhance the energy of other crystals. Regulates energy levels, can cleanse and regulate the aura of people and objects. Increases psychic abilities.
Price of home crystallization kits
Now let’s calculate how much it costs to grow a crystal at home. The cost of small kits designed for growing small elements is usually 150-200 rubles. Interesting sets, which include additional elements and shaped bases, may have a higher price. For example, the “Magic Tree” (crystals here grow on the branches of the base) costs from 250 rubles.
Choose sets to suit your taste. If you wish, you can grow a whole collection of crystals of different shapes and colors with your own hands. The most important thing is to carefully study the instructions, since kits from different manufacturers may vary slightly in configuration.
Physical properties of crystals
Looking at various crystals, we see that they are all different in shape, but each of them represents a symmetrical body. Indeed, symmetry is one of the main properties of crystals. We call bodies symmetrical if they consist of equal, identical parts.
There are two main properties of crystals worth mentioning. One of them is anisotropy. This term means a change in properties depending on the direction. This property is also called inequality. It is expressed in the fact that the physical properties of crystals (hardness, strength, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, speed of light propagation) are not the same in different directions.
At the same time, crystals are homogeneous bodies. The homogeneity of a crystalline substance consists in the fact that its two sections of the same shape and the same orientation have identical properties.
Electrical properties. Crystals belong to the so-called one-dimensional conductors. At temperatures close to room temperature, electrical conductivity is ionic in nature, because the main charge carriers are ions.
Such properties of solids as elasticity, strength, surface tension are determined by the forces of interaction between atoms and the structure of crystals. By studying the forces of interatomic interaction, it is possible, for example, to determine the value of the elastic modulus, the tensile strength of the material, the binding energy of the crystal and the surface tension coefficient.
Homogeneity is expressed in the fact that any elementary volumes of a crystalline substance, identically oriented in space, are absolutely identical in all their properties: they have the same color, mass, hardness, etc. Thus, every crystal is a homogeneous, but at the same time anisotropic body.
Self-cutting ability . The ability to self-cut is expressed in the fact that any fragment or ball turned from a crystal in an environment appropriate for its growth becomes covered over time with faces characteristic of a given crystal. This feature is related to the crystal structure. A glass ball, for example, does not have such a feature.
Crystals of the same substance may differ from each other in their size, number of faces, edges and shape of the faces. This depends on the conditions of crystal formation. The angles between the corresponding faces of the growing crystal remain unchanged. This property of crystals is known as the law of constancy of facet angles.
A constant melting point is expressed in the fact that when a crystalline body is heated, the temperature rises to a certain limit; with further heating, the substance begins to melt, and the temperature remains constant for some time, since all the heat goes to destroy the crystal lattice.
Cleavage is the property of crystals to split or split along certain crystallographic directions to form even, smooth planes called cleavage planes.
Coloring. Some crystals have such a pure and beautiful color that they are used as paints or varnishes. Their names are often used in everyday speech: emerald green, ruby red, turquoise, amethyst, etc.
Transparency. Transparency is the ability of a substance to transmit light through itself. The transparency of crystals is determined by the absence of strong electronic or vibrational transitions in them in the visible region of the spectrum of electromagnetic waves.
Reviews of “Magic Crystals”
Crystallization kits hit store shelves a few years ago. During this time, many of our compatriots tried to grow a crystal at home. A large number of customers enjoyed this interesting and entertaining experience.
The “Magic Crystals” sets have positive reviews. This is a great way to visually teach your child about chemical reactions. Every parent knows that sometimes it is not at all easy to direct a child’s energy in the right direction and really get him interested in something. And growing crystals is not only an interesting experiment, but also a real hobby for the whole family.
Although among the buyers of the described sets there are those who were dissatisfied. It happens that sometimes the crystals simply do not begin to grow. There can be two reasons - non-compliance with the rules for conducting the experiment or a defective manufacturer (for example, incorrect reagents).
Crystal structure
A crystal is a solid body of natural origin or formed in laboratory conditions, having the shape of a regular polyhedron .
The correct shape of a crystal is based on its internal structure - the particles of matter that make up the crystal (molecules, atoms and ions) are located in it in a certain pattern and form a periodically repeating three-dimensional spatial arrangement, otherwise called a “crystal lattice”. The variety of crystals in shape is very large. Crystals can have from four to several hundred facets. But at the same time, they have a remarkable property - whatever the size, shape and number of faces of the same crystal, all flat faces intersect with each other at certain angles. The angles between corresponding faces are always the same. Rock salt crystals, for example, can have the shape of a cube, parallelepiped, prism, or a body of a more complex shape, but their faces always intersect at right angles. The quartz faces are shaped like irregular hexagons, but the angles between the faces are always the same.
Measuring the angles between the faces of crystals is of very great practical importance, since from the results of these measurements in many cases the nature of the mineral can be reliably determined. The simplest device for measuring crystal angles is an applied goniometer. Crystals of regular geometric shape are rare in nature.
The combined action of such unfavorable factors as temperature fluctuations and close surroundings with neighboring solids does not allow the growing crystal to acquire its characteristic shape. In addition, a significant part of the crystals that had a perfect cut in the distant past managed to lose it under the influence of water, wind, and friction with other solids. Thus, many rounded transparent grains that can be found in coastal sand are quartz crystals that have lost their edges as a result of prolonged friction against each other.
There are several ways to tell whether a solid is a crystal. The simplest of them, but very unsuitable for use, was discovered as a result of an accidental observation at the end of the 18th century by the French scientist Renne Haüy, who accidentally dropped one of the crystals from his collection. After examining the crystal fragments, he noticed that many of them were smaller copies of the original sample.
The remarkable property of many crystals, when crushed, to produce fragments similar in shape to the original crystal, allowed Haüy to hypothesize that all crystals consist of densely packed rows of small particles, invisible under a microscope, having a regular geometric shape inherent to a given substance. Gayuy explained the variety of geometric shapes not only by the different shapes of the “bricks” from which they are composed, but also by the different ways of laying them.
In the 18th century, the English scientist Robert Hooke and the Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens drew attention to the possibility of constructing regular polyhedra from tightly packed balls. They suggested that crystals are built from spherical particles - atoms or molecules. The external shapes of crystals, according to this hypothesis, are a consequence of the characteristics of the dense packing of atoms or molecules. Independently of them, the great Russian scientist M.V. Lomonosov came to the same conclusion in 1748.
When the balls are packed tightly into one flat layer, each ball is surrounded by six other balls, the centers of which form a regular hexagon. If the second layer is laid along the holes between the balls of the first layer, then the second layer will be the same as the first, only displaced relative to it in space.
Is it possible to grow a crystal without a special kit?
You can conduct a crystallization experiment at home without any special substances or devices. For this experiment you will need regular table salt. Dilute the saturated solution by adding at least 2 tablespoons of the selected substance per 200 grams of hot water. Drop a small pebble into the liquid and leave the container in a cool place for a week. As a result, you will have a base covered with salt crystals. It can be carefully removed from the solution and dried on a paper towel.
However, keep in mind that salt crystals are quite fragile. The value of such an experience lies in the process itself. If you want to keep something as a keepsake, it makes sense to purchase a ready-made “Magic Crystals” set. Using real reagents and convenient tools, you can observe an entertaining chemical process. As a result, you will get beautiful multi-colored crystals with good transparency and strength.
How to make a large white crystal from sea salt
When using the classic method of growing crystals, they are made from table salt, which is used for food. This product is available in large quantities on the shelves of any grocery store and is quite inexpensive. But which salts are best to grow crystals from? Sea salt will also serve the purpose. The difference is what the result will be.
To obtain unusual masterpieces of nature, you need to put a crystal from table salt in one container, and from sea salt in another. In the second case, the growth rate may be greater, as well as the density of the resulting stone. The appearance of the crystals may also differ, but only slightly, since the molecules of sea and table salt are almost the same.
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To make a large white crystal from sea salt, use this method:
- Prepare a transparent glass (or glass jar) for the future process.
- Dissolve a large amount of sea salt in warm spring water, strain the liquid through a thick cloth or gauze.
- Pour the saturated solution into the selected glass.
- Take one crystal of sea salt, tie a thread to it and put it in a container with the resulting liquid for several weeks or months.
- When the size of the stone is the size you need, remove it, dry it with napkins and varnish it.
- Once you receive a white stone, you will not be able to paint it a different color, since the food coloring will run off the walls. The only way to obtain a bright shade of a stone is to add pigment directly to the solution from which the crystal will grow.
- If the liquid level drops to a minimum as the stone grows, pour a solution of the same consistency into the container.
