1. Growing Crystals
A research project

2. What is a super saturated solution?
Prompt
To grow a single, large crystal of epsom salt you must first grow a small crystal. After this, you can suspend the small crystal into a super saturated solution. The crystal can grow to be quite large.
What is a super saturated solution?

3. Research…
Click this website and read about solutions. (Ignore the Colloids section)
Click this website a read about saturated solutions. (Scroll to get there)
Click this website to learn how to make a supersaturated solution.
A solution is
A solute is
A solvent is
A solution is saturated when
A solution is super saturated when

4. Check for understanding
Complete the two sentences bellow.
Kool-aid is a solution of food dye, sugar, and water.
1. In Cool-aid, the solvent is
2. In Cool-Aid, the solutes are

5. Step 1: Grow a crystal.
Make a saturated solution of epsom salt and water.
Pour the solution into a petri dish.
Let sit for a day or two.

6. Step 2: Grow the crystal from step 1, larger!
Read this article. Pay attention to the section about dissolving solutes in hot water instead of cold water.
And this article about growing large crystals.
Write a numbered procedure in the column to the right that explains how you will grow a large crystal.

7. Step 2: Make a super saturated solution
Follow your steps from slide 6.

8. Continue

9. Conclusion Why did you heat the water when dissolving the salt?
Compare the shape of the small crystal to the shape of the large crystal. What do you notice?
Explain your answer above. You should read the textbook about crystals first.

10. Big kids growing crystals.
See this website.
Now watch this video…