Make delicate, colorful crystals! This is a great classic crystal-growing project. You use charcoal briquettes (or other porous materials), ammonia, salt, bluing, and food coloring to grow a sort of crystal garden. The components of the garden are toxic, so adult supervision is recommended. Be sure to keep your growing garden away from young children and pets!
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 2 days to 2 weeks
Here's How:
- Place chunks of your substrate (i.e., charcoal briquette, sponge, cork, brick, porous rock) in an even layer in the non-metal pan. You want pieces that are roughly 1-inch in diameter, so you may need to (carefully) use a hammer to break the material up.
- Sprinkle water, preferably distilled, onto the substrate until is has been thoroughly dampened. Pour off any excess water.
- In an empty jar, mix 3 tablespoons (45 ml) uniodized salt, 3 tablespoons (45 ml) ammonia, and 6 tablespoons (90 ml) bluing. Stir until the salt is dissolved.
- Pour the mixture over the prepared substrate.
- Add and swirl a bit of water around in the empty jar to pick up the remaining chemicals and pour this liquid onto the substrate, too.
- Add a drop of food coloring here and there across the surface of the 'garden'. Areas with no food coloring will be white.
- Sprinkle more salt (about 2 T or about 30 ml) across the surface of the 'garden'.
- Set the 'garden' in an area where it will not be disturbed.
- On days 2 and 3, pour a mixture of ammonia, water, and bluing (2 tablespoons or 30 ml each) in the bottom of the pan, being careful not to disturb the delicate growing crystals.
- Keep the pan in an undisturbed place, but check on it periodically to watch your very cool garden grow!
Tips:
- If you can't find bluing at a store near you, it is available online: http://www.mrsstewart.com/ (Mrs. Stewart's Bluing).
- Crystals form on the porous materials and grow by drawing up the solution using capillary action. Water evaporates on the surface, depositing solids/forming crystals, and pulling more solution up from the base of the pie plate.
What You Need
- Charcoal Briquettes (or pieces of sponge or brick or porous rock)
- Distilled Water
- Uniodized Salt
- Ammonia
- Bluing (shop online)
- Food Coloring
- Non-Metal Pie Plate (glass is great)
- Measuring Spoons
- Empty Jar
