How To Grow Instant Sheet Crystals

How To Grow Instant Sheet Crystals You can grow crystals in seconds. It doesnt take special solutions or complicated equipment. You have all the ingredients in your kitchen. Lets do it! Difficulty: Easy Time Required: Crystals form in seconds What You Need Cookie sheet or glass panHot waterCrystal chemical (e.g., alum or Epsom salt)Food coloring (optional) Heres How Make a crystal growing solution. You can use any recipe. Great choices would be Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate, sold with laundry or bath products) or alum (from the spice section of the grocery store) stirred into very hot water until no more will dissolve. Add a little food coloring.Pour a little solution onto a cookie sheet or glass pan. Its okay if the liquid is still hot.Tilt the pan around to spread out the solution. Youll see a fan of crystals form as the liquid evaporates, similar to frost on a windowpane. Tips You dont need very much solution at all! If you have a puddle of liquid in your pan, that is too much. Pour some off and let the bottom dry. The evaporation goes more quickly if the pan is warm, but its not really necessary to heat it (in other words, avoid burns).Try viewing the crystals through a microscope. Polarized light displays gorgeous colors!Another option is to crystallize the solution onto a sheet or plate of clear glass or plastic. Once the crystals have dried, hold the plate up to light. Examine the crystals using a magnifying glass. What do you see if you wear polarized sunglasses?