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National Chemistry Week - Experiments - Crystal Garden
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The Aim:
to create a crystal garden
What you will need:
- 3 clean dry sponges
- aluminum pie plate
- glass measuring cup
- 60 mL (1/4 cup) of table salt
- 60 mL (1/4 cup) of water
- 60 mL (1/4 cup) of laundry bluing (Bluing can be bought
by the bottle at the grocery store under the brand name
of Mrs. Stewart's Laundry Bluing.)
- 30 mL (2 tablespoons) of household ammonia
- a mixing bowl
- a metal spoon
- blue and green food colouring
What to do:
Arrange the three sponges in the pie plate.
Pour the salt, water, bluing and ammonia into the
mixing bowl and stir to mix well.
Pour this mixture over the sponges and then spoon out
the rest of the thick portion, spreading it out evenly
over the sponges.
Sprinkle the drops of blue and green food colouring
randomly on the sponges.
Let the pan sit. It may take hours or even days to see
the results.
Encourage observations.
![[IMAGE OF GROWING CRYSTALS]](../experiments/images/garden.gif)
The crystals will grow due to the liquid evaporating into the
air. There are molecules in this liquid and molecules are made up
of atoms. When the liquid evaporates the remaining atoms will
pack together in a more favourable form called crystals. The time
that it takes for this to happen will depend on how quickly the
water is evaporating.
To learn more about atoms, crystals and molecules, see Atoms and Molecules.
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