Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #48: Make a Crystal
2. Watch this video that shows the steps for making a crystal.
3. Gather your materials. Take a picture and add it to your recording page.
- measuring spoon
- colored pencil
- pipe cleaner
- hot water
- food coloring (optional)
- spoon
- Borax (Available at grocery stores in the laundry soap section. Use 20 Mule Team Borax Laundry Booster, not Boraxo soap.)
- a glass or jar
Safety first! Borax can irritate your skin, eyes and lungs, and it can be harmful if you swallow it. Ask a grown-up for help handling borax, and don’t touch your crystal once it’s done
4. Watch the video again and work on your experiment. Take pictures while you are working and add them to your recording sheet.
5. The following day, take a picture of your crystal and add it to your recording sheet.
6. Read this information and add a summary to your recording sheet.
Understanding Borax Crystals.
Borax is a type of crystal, defined as “a solid with flat sides and a symmetrical shape due to its molecules being arranged in a specific, repeating pattern.” Each crystal exhibits a unique repeating pattern that corresponds to its shape. Crystals can vary in size, but they all share this characteristic structure. Examples of crystals include salt, sugar, and Epsom salts. Salt crystals typically form in a cube shape, while snow crystals display a six-sided design.
How Do Borax Crystals Form?
Hot water can dissolve more borax than cold water. This is because the molecules in heated water spread further apart, allowing more borax to dissolve. When no additional borax can dissolve in the solution, it is considered saturated. As the solution cools, the water molecules come closer together, creating less space for the dissolved borax. This change allows crystals to start forming as the water evaporates and releases the excess borax.
7. Share your STEAM mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.