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Make a single crystal of copper. How to grow a crystal from salt at home

How to grow a crystal at home? If earlier such a question might surprise, today most people have seen at least once in their lives what home-grown crystals are, and some have already created such beauty.

The process can be called laborious, and it will take a lot of time, but it can definitely captivate, especially since the result is usually impressive. Growing crystals is recommended as a joint activity with children, because small and not so young researchers are very interested in such a pastime.

When deciding to experiment at home for the first time, it is worth starting with the simplest, using a product that can be found in any home - sugar. This method is especially recommended for conducting research with children, especially since they will try the result. How to grow a crystal from sugar?

This will require the following:

The growing process begins with cooking sugar syrup - 1/4 tbsp. water is mixed with 2 liters. sugar and keep on the stove until the liquid acquires the consistency of syrup. Then a skewer is dipped in it and sprinkled with sugar. The further beauty of the sugar crystal depends on the uniformity of the sprinkling. Thus, several blanks are made and left for 8-12 hours until they are completely dry.

Once the skewers are dry, you can begin the next step. Pour 500 ml of water into a saucepan or ladle and pour 2.5 cups of granulated sugar. Then the container is placed on a slow fire and boiled, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes a syrup. It is important to ensure that the sugar is completely dissolved.

Then add the remaining sugar (2.5 cups) and continue cooking. After the syrup is left for 20 minutes to cool. And at this time, you can do the preparation of the base for the crystals. It is necessary to cut circles of paper, slightly larger in diameter than the glasses and gently pierce them with chopsticks. The main thing is that the paper should be firmly fixed on the skewer, as it will play the role of a holder and serve as a lid for the glass.

Cooled down, but still hot, the syrup must be poured into glasses. And if at this moment you combine it with food coloring, then the grown crystal will become colored. Then the stick in paper is dipped into the sugar mixture and left there until a crystal forms. After a similar procedure is repeated with the remaining blanks.

It will not be possible to quickly grow a crystal in this way, since, on average, this process will take 6-8 days. After it is formed, you can admire the result and treat yourself and the children to a beautiful sweetness.

How does salt crystallize?

You can use not only sugar, but it is also possible to grow a crystal from salt at home. This is a fairly simple procedure, which, however, requires patience.

To create it, you need the following:

Water is heated in a saucepan, not bringing to a boil, otherwise the experiment will fail. Then salt is slowly poured into it, without ceasing to mix, so that each salt portion is completely dissolved. Salt is added until the water stops dissolving it.

Salt solution is placed in a jar and settled for about 20-24 hours. As time passes, various crystalline formations appearing from the salt sediment are found in the tank. You need to choose the one that is prettier and larger, get it out of the jar and tie it on a thread.

The remaining solution must be poured into another jar, but so that other crystals do not get into it. Then a crystal with a tied thread is lowered into it. After that, it remains only to wait, as the crystal will begin to grow, and in a couple of days a change in its size will be noticeable.

As soon as its growth stops, you can end the experiment or prepare an additional salt solution and repeat the procedure so that the crystal becomes much larger. By the way, you can speed up the process by changing the saline more often.

Having learned how to grow a crystal from salt and having prepared everything you need, it is worth considering a few nuances. First, you can not cool the solution, chat, and also try to color, coloring will not occur, but the experiment will fail.

Use for the experience of copper sulfate

We will talk about a more complex process that can be carried out at home, but if it is performed by children, then with the obligatory viewing of adults. How to grow a crystal from copper sulfate (aka copper sulfate)?

For the experiment, you need to prepare the following components:

When purchasing the last component, it is worth evaluating the quality of the substance - the powder has a bright blue color, a uniform consistency, without impurities and lumps.

Pour 100 g of the substance into a container and pour it in small portions with hot water, without ceasing to stir. The solution is so saturated that the copper salt is not able to dissolve in it.

The liquid is filtered and placed on a shelf in the refrigerator compartment. Enough night to find that the bottom of the jar is covered with a lot of crystals. It is worth choosing a couple more beautiful and larger and lower it into a filtered solution, after securing it with a thread. The container is covered with paper and all that remains is waiting.

This is the longest experiment, as vitriol crystals grow slowly. It will take more than one week for it to ripen. The crystal is then taken out of the jar, rinsed under cool water and covered with a colorless nail art coat.

Having learned how to grow a crystal at home, you can do an experiment without delay. And if everything is done correctly, the result will surely please.

This article will talk in detail about how to grow a crystal from copper sulfate at home. This material can be useful both for schoolchildren when preparing a task in the subject of "chemistry", and for everyone interested in this science.

Why copper sulphate?

This substance belongs to the class of salts, which means that its solution can easily be turned into a solid through the process of crystallization. Growing stone from it, as a rule, occurs much faster than using materials such as salt or sugar. In addition, copper sulfate crystals turn out to be a beautiful blue color. With proper cultivation, they acquire the correct multifaceted shape, so observe the result own experience it is very interesting and enjoyable.

Another argument in favor of choosing this particular material may be its availability. You can buy a jar of blue vitriol at any store specializing in the sale of accessories for gardeners and summer residents.

What do you need to know before starting the experience?

In this chapter, some theoretical knowledge will be given that will help you grow a crystal from copper sulfate at home in the future. First of all, you need to understand what processes must occur in order for the experience to be successful.

From chemistry lessons, schoolchildren know that many liquid and gaseous substances are capable of acquiring a solid consistency. This usually occurs during the crystallization process. But what if the task is to obtain a solid substance from sugar, salt or blue vitriol, which are already such? Science says it's entirely possible. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to start the recrystallization process. That is, the result of the experiment can be considered successful if small stones, having dissolved in a liquid, are immediately converted into the same solid clots.

Recrystallization

The main condition under which such a process can be carried out is the presence of a supersaturated solution.

This means that growing crystals at home from copper sulfate requires the manufacture of such a mixture. A liquid can be called supersaturated with some substance if there is so much material dissolved in it that part of it cannot completely mix with it and settles at the bottom of the container. Therefore, in order to figure out how to grow a crystal from copper sulfate, you must first learn how to make a supersaturated solution.

Hygiene requirements

First of all, it is worth taking care of the necessary sterility in which the experiment should take place. Ideally, the hair of an amateur chemist should be covered with a hat, and it is best to wear rubber gloves on your hands. Copper sulfate, if handled carefully and reasonably, does not pose any danger to the human body.

All of the above precautions are needed primarily to protect the solution from dust and small particles of foreign materials. This is extremely undesirable, since other crystals may begin to grow on such grains of sand that accidentally fall into the liquid, which will slow down the development of the main stone.

Supersaturated Solution Recipe

To prepare it, you will need a saucepan, water, a jar of blue vitriol, a container in which the main part of the experiment will be carried out (a vessel with transparent walls is best for this purpose, since you will need to monitor the growth of the crystal daily). Also, for the implementation of the task, a sheet of paper, a match and a thread will come in handy (best of all, if it is not fleecy, but, for example, silk or made of similar material).

So, we proceed to the first stage of making a crystal from copper sulfate at home. A pot of water must be put on a slow fire. When the liquid is already warm enough, but still does not have time to boil, you need to pour a few tablespoons of copper sulfate into it. Water should be stirred until the blue substance is completely dissolved.

Repeating this step multiple times

When this happens, add a couple more tablespoons of copper sulfate. The liquid must again be thoroughly stirred.

Do not be afraid if this time not all the crystals of the substance were able to dissolve, and some of them formed a precipitate at the bottom of the pan. The appearance of such an excess just indicates that you have achieved the desired result - namely, you have received a supersaturated solution. If this did not happen, then it is necessary to add a few more tablespoons of vitriol to the water and stir again. These steps will have to be repeated until sediment appears at the bottom of the pan.

Making "bait"

Such a fishing term is sometimes called crystals of copper sulphate of small size, which serve as the basis for further growing stones from this substance.

To make them, you need to take three small particles. When choosing crystals, one must take into account the criterion for the correctness of their shape. The more perfect the selected pieces are, the more correct and better the clot obtained as a result of your experience will be.

Three particles are placed at the bottom of a transparent vessel and filled with a supersaturated solution of vitriol.

After that, the container is covered with a sheet of paper and placed in a place with the most stable temperature conditions. As a rule, experts recommend placing it on the windowsill.

This place in the apartment is considered the most secluded, and therefore nothing can interfere with the implementation of the experiment. After all the necessary actions have been taken, all further steps in growing a crystal from copper sulfate at home can be postponed for 2 days. During this time, the particles placed in the liquid should grow several times and reach the size of a match head.

Selection of the best applicant

Of these ingots, it is necessary to select the one that has the most correct shape. This is the so-called "bait". Next, you need to make again a supersaturated solution of copper sulfate. How to do it is described in the previous chapters. It should be filtered through cheesecloth and poured back into a transparent container. The crystal chosen as "bait" must be tied to a thread, the other end of which must be fixed on a match.

Take a sheet of paper and make a hole in the middle of it of such a size that a manufactured pebble of blue vitriol can freely pass through it. Pass a thread through this hole so that the crystal is on one side of the sheet, and the match is on the other. After that, cover the jar with this paper. In this case, the match, of course, should lie on top, and the crystal should float in the liquid.

Patience and more patience

The task of how to make a crystal from copper sulfate is almost solved. Now you just need to put the vessel back in a secluded place and wait.

It is necessary to ensure that the crystal, if possible, is in the center of the jar and does not come into contact with the walls. This can be achieved by moving a sheet of paper and adjusting the length of the thread with a match as the crystal grows.

Various ways

We bring to your attention a few more master classes. Copper sulphate crystals can be grown in a slightly different way.

The second way is to place the vessel with the "bait" in a heat-insulating container or wrap the jar in a blanket or other warm thing. In this way, a slower cooling of a supersaturated solution can be achieved. This option is more complex than the one described earlier, but as a result of its application, pebbles of a very regular shape are obtained. The next way to grow a crystal from copper sulfate is the easiest.

No need to make a "bait". A thread is placed in a container with a supersaturated solution. In this case, it is best to choose one that is made from the most fleecy material. Its end is tied to a faceted pencil, which is placed on top of the can on its walls. The crystal will form on the thread itself.

Depending on the temperature conditions, the cultivation experience can last from one week to several months.

Which can be done with children. Get started with magical world crystals right now!

At home, you can grow crystals of almost all salts, but it is better to start with technologically simple materials. These include table salt, sugar, borax and blue vitriol. It produces the largest and most beautiful blue crystals. Growing them is easy, at the same time it is a very interesting and educational process. Our article will help you grow a copper sulfate crystal at home step by step.

What you need

blue vitriol

You can buy it at any gardening and hardware store. It is sold in packs of 100 grams. The blue color of household vitriol indicates a low degree of purification. Crystals from it are obtained lighter.

Copper sulphate of low purity

Copper sulfate can also be purchased at specialized laboratories. From such vitriol, a dark blue crystal will grow, similar to a precious stone.

Capacity for working solution

Glassware is used, as other materials react chemically with the solution. A half-liter jar with a wide neck is perfect. After the experience, it is strictly forbidden to use it for food purposes.

Basis for crystallization

As a basis, a thin woolen thread of blue or black color is used. An adult crystal is translucent, and the base should not spoil the result. An alternative may be thin, pre-sanded with sandpaper.

Water

If in the experiment you use copper sulfate from hardware store water will need to be boiled. For the experiment with purified vitriol, distilled water is used.

Means of protection

The vitriol is toxic, and it is impossible to work with it without gloves. For younger children school age It is advisable to wear a medical mask.

Pencil or stick to secure the base

On it you will hang a thread on which the crystal will grow.

Clear nail polish

Disposable plastic spoon

Important! Work is carried out only under the supervision of adults. At the end of the process, hands must be thoroughly washed under running water. You can not taste the crystal or powder. In case of contact with copper sulfate in the eyes, they should be washed with plenty of water.

How to make a crystal: work steps

Working solution of high concentration

In water heated to about 80 degrees, add copper sulfate in a spoon. The liquid has to be constantly stirred so that the powder is completely dissolved. It is important to keep the water temperature constant, and a water or sand bath can help. If copper sulfate has ceased to dissolve and settles at the bottom, then the solution is ready. On average, 200 grams of the substance will go to 300 ml of water.

seed crystal

We rearrange the container with the hot solution on the cooling surface and wait until the liquid has cooled to room temperature. This is necessary to start the precipitation of small crystals. Having filtered the solution through gauze, we will consider the crystals and choose the largest and correct in shape. We will use it later as a seed.

Crystal Growth Medium

The decanted solution is reheated in a water bath, again bringing it to a supersaturated state. If the resulting precipitate has not dissolved, repeat the cleaning. We tie the seed and place it in the jar so that the thread is located vertically, without touching the bottom and walls of the container. To do this, we tie the thread to the pencil, and fix the pencil itself on the neck, for example, with plasticine. you will find detailed instructions and scientific description of this experiment.

crystal growth

We cover the dishes with a cloth napkin and leave for seven days in a stationary state. The static structure is a prerequisite for the beginning of crystal formation. After a week, you can see that the thread is overgrown with small crystals ranging in size from a millimeter, and the seed has increased by about 1 cm. The larger the crystal, the faster it grows. When the result is satisfactory, dry the crystal and coat it with varnish - it will protect the product from white deposits during storage and give it extra shine.

From this experience, children will learn how and why crystals grow and will love making scientific discoveries.

Tsvetkov Andrey

At the lessons of the world around us and on hikes in our republic, we learned that crystals are often found in nature. For example, snowflakes, frosty patterns on the windows and frost that adorns bare tree branches in winter. All stones are crystals! And not only bright and shiny gems (diamonds, rubies, sapphires), but also ordinary ones that make up mountains, rocks, gorges and caves. There are even crystals that you can eat! These are salt and sugar, which are available in every kitchen. Crystals are widely used in science, industry, optics, and electronics. My family and I live in a private house. We have a garden where we grow vegetables, fruits and flowers. One day, my mother treated the plants with a strange blue liquid, and I decided to find out why she does this? Mom said that this is a solution of copper sulfate and it is needed in order to protect fruits and vegetables from various diseases. I wanted to know more about this substance. Having studied the literature, we learned that blue vitriol is salt (salt - from a chemical point of view) of blue color, not poisonous to humans (unless you eat it) and it is used not only in gardening, but also in medicine, in construction and even in the food industry! But the most interesting thing for me was that every single particle of this salt is a crystal! It turns out that you can grow crystals yourself! We were very interested in this topic, and we decided to grow a crystal from copper sulfate salt. After all, it should turn out very beautiful and colorful! But how to do this, what precautions to take, my parents and I did not know. Therefore, we decided to study this process.

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Research work: "Growing copper sulphate crystals at home"

Good afternoon, dear members of the jury, guests and young researchers!

My name is Andrey Tsvetkov, I am a student of grade 3 B, school number 113.

I bring to your attention research work on the topic: "Growing copper sulfate crystals at home."

So the research topic was chosen: "Growing crystals of copper sulphate at home."

The relevance of researchis that the cultivation of crystals is an exciting and educational activity and, perhaps, the simplest, most accessible and inexpensive. Crystals have played and still play an important role in human life.

Goal of the work: learn how to grow copper sulfate crystals at home

Tasks:

1. Learn what crystals are.

2. To study the process of growing crystals.

3. Familiarize yourself with the safety measures when working with copper sulphate.

4. Grow a crystal from copper sulfate salt.

5. Analyze the results.

Object of studyare crystals.

Subject of study- the process of crystallization.

Research hypothesis: we assume that copper sulfate crystals can be grown at home

Research methods:

The accumulation of theoretical material.

Carrying out experimental activities in order to obtain crystals from copper sulphate.

Analysis of the results of the study.

Necessary equipment:

1. Copper sulfate salt (available at a gardening store).

2. Capacity where we will grow our crystal.

3.Thread.

4.Pencil.

What are crystals?

Crystals, translated from Greek, (krystallos) means "ice". According to the encyclopedia, a crystal is a solid body. Crystals grow by attaching particles of matter from liquid or vapor. Crystals are of natural origin and artificial, grown in specially created conditions. And each person, if desired, can easily grow crystals at home.

After analyzing the text material, we determined the research methods, carried out experimental work on growing crystals at home.

Growing crystals from copper sulfate.

Growing crystals is a very, very interesting activity. But in order for the result to turn out really beautiful, you need to carefully follow all the steps and be patient. We learned from books and the Internet that crystals can be grown in many ways, for example, by cooling a saturated salt solution. With decreasing temperature, the solubility of most substances decreases, and they are said to precipitate. First, tiny crystals - nuclei - appear in the solution and on the walls of the vessel. When cooling is slow, there are few of them. On rapid cooling, however, more such nuclei are formed, and the process itself proceeds more actively. At the same time, crystals that are correct in shape do not work, because a lot of them grow and they interfere with each other. Therefore, you need to take one of these crystals and use it as a so-called seed. It will be like a magnet, to which particles of matter from the liquid will be attracted and attached. It turns out that even if our original crystal has irregular shape, sooner or later he will correct all his defects and take the form characteristic of this substance. The crystal of copper sulphate should turn out in the form of a rhombus, which we had to check.

Security measures

When growing a crystal from copper sulfate, you must always remember that this chemical reagent Therefore, children can work with him only under the supervision of their parents. Although copper sulfate is not poisonous, it is necessary to observe safety measures:

1. Do not taste copper sulfate salt.

2. Avoid contact with the nose and eyes.

3. It is strictly forbidden to eat from the dishes that were used during the experiment.

4. During the growth of the crystal, do not touch it with your hands, because fingerprints will remain on it, and the crystal will grow in an irregular shape.

5. Always wash your hands at the end of the experiments.

Stages of growing a crystal from copper sulfate

Stage 1 . From the beginning we prepare the solution. Pour about 200 ml of hot water into a jar or glass. We begin to add copper sulfate. Pour a tablespoon, stir. The vitriol will dissolve very quickly. Add another spoonful and stir again. We do this until the salt begins to settle at the bottom, after which we filter the solution through a handkerchief.

Stage 2. While the solution is cooling, prepare the "seed". The seed is a large crystal of copper sulphate or a bead or button. We filter the solution through a handkerchief, on which precipitation remains in the form of crystals, for seeding we chose the largest of them.

Stage 3. We fixed the seed on the thread.

Stage 4. We place the seed on the thread inside the glass with the solution. In this case, the seed should not touch the walls of the vessel or its bottom. Therefore, we tie the thread to the stick in the middle. Place the stick across the neck of the glass.

Stage 5 We leave the beaker with the suspended seed alone and wait until crystals begin to form. When the crystal reaches the desired size, we take it out of the solution, cut the thread.

Stage 6 In order to make our crystal even more beautiful, you can cover it with colorless nail polish.

Result : We received a crystal of blue vitriol. Small shaped crystals grown can be used as decoration, such as photo frames or other items.

Conclusion: In doing this work, we found out that the world of crystals is beautiful and diverse. Each of its representatives is unique in its properties, size and structural features. In addition to being beautiful, crystals play an important role in human life.

In the course of our work, we investigated a very interesting property of crystals - their growth in an artificial environment. It turns out that crystals can be grown at home, without any effort.

As a result of the research, the hypothesis is fully confirmed: we managed to grow copper sulfate crystals at home.

The practical significance of the research lies in the fact that it can be used in the lessons of the surrounding world, in extracurricular activities.

I would like to thank my parents and class teacher for their help in conducting the research.Thank you all for your attention!

Those who have already become acquainted with the possibility of growing crystals at home with minimal cost, and conceived the idea of getting one or more, often faced with the possibility of growing only white specimens. At the very least, ordinary table salt is capable of producing exceptionally white crystals, which are simply impossible to do right away. Although such experiments take place with sugar, sometimes people want to get a real natural colored crystal l, which grew by itself, without dyes. It is in this case that the best way to obtain a crystal from salt is to use copper sulfate.

Bright blue rich hue, transparency and attractiveness are main characteristics this material. A well-grown, ideally shaped crystal of copper sulphate is also quite suitable as an exquisite and rather rare gift for relatives and friends. In addition, it in itself is able to become an excellent element of interior decor. No one will remain indifferent, looking at this work of nature, formed under clear mathematical rules. In addition, the growing process itself can become extremely captivating and addictive for long days and weeks.

It should be noted that copper sulphate itself is a fairly affordable economic substance. It is actively used to combat a wide variety of pests.

It is worth remembering that in itself it is quite toxic because our body is not designed to process it. That is why the use of rubber gloves is mandatory when working with it. In no case do not allow this salt to get on the tongue and mucous membrane, not to mention the esophagus. Be sure to thoroughly wash your hands after touching the appropriate crystal or solution for its preparation.

All that is needed for the initiation and growth of the crystal is: water, blue vitriol itself, a glass that will no longer be used for food purposes, a wire or a fairly thin woolen thread, you can also take a simple long hair. As for water, it is best to use distilled, purified from any kind of salts. At a minimum, it must be boiled, since everything that you take from the tap will react with copper sulfate and significantly degrade the quality of the resulting material.

To form a crystal, it needs initialization element. In its quality, one small crystal is suitable. Of course, it is desirable to choose more. Initially, the dressing is suspended on a thin hair and on a thread. It is worth taking care that after the formation of a successful crystal, the corresponding thread is not visible. It is necessary to place the seed in a container with a cool solution of copper sulphate so that it does not touch the bottom and walls.

It should be noted that for successful and rapid crystal formation, it is necessary to maintain the highest possible concentration of copper sulfate in water.

There is a way that will allow you to create a stone of copper sulfate fast enough, however, it will be more like a bunch of a wide variety of crystals attached to each other. If you want to create a beautiful large crystal with your own hands that will look like a gem, this will take a lot more time.

Cultivation is possible only in solutions with a very high salt concentration. It is worth noting that the hotter the water the more salt can be dissolved. For copper sulfate, a temperature of 80 degrees is recommended. It does not make sense to heat water higher, since the solubility will be the same.

For a quick method, it is enough to take a half-liter jar or glass, place about 200 g of copper sulfate inside and pour three grams of water. For dissolution, it is necessary to put the container on a thermal bath, and gradually warm up, stirring constantly. After the final dissolution of the salt, it is necessary to remove the container from the heat source and install on a cool surface such as a ceramic plate.

After cooling the solution to room temperature, a seed is placed inside. It is desirable to use the largest and even crystal of copper sulfate. It is necessary to place it exactly in the center of the container, avoid contact with the bottom and walls.

Even if the crystal has dissolved, you should not worry, because the supersaturated solution settles directly on the thread. It should be noted that vitriol will focus on the bottom where the surface is coolest. In addition, crystals will begin to form even on the surface. After the concentration subsides, and the crystals abundantly settle on the thread, it is necessary to repeat the procedure. Again heating the container, again dissolving maximum number salt. After that, the growing crystal is re-immersed in the container.