Crystal+Chaos

When liquids evaporate into gases, they can leave material behind. =Sugar Crystals on a String= Sugar crystals on a string can be fun to watch grow and delicious to eat. When liquids evaporate into gases, they can leave material behind. That material can be very tasty, as shown by this science project for kids on states of matter. But note that this project requires adult supervision!

What You'll Need:

 * Pan
 * Water
 * Stove
 * Sugar
 * Measuring spoon
 * String
 * Pencil
 * Glass
 * Scissors
 * Button
 * Step 1:** Bring a small pan of water to a boil on the stove, and turn off the heat.
 * Step 2:** Add one tablespoon of sugar, and stir until it dissolves.
 * Step 3:** Continue adding sugar, one tablespoon at a time, letting each tablespoonful dissolve completely before adding the next. When no more sugar will dissolve in the water, allow the saturated solution to cool.
 * Step 4:** Tie a string to the middle of a pencil, and set the pencil across the rim of a glass. Cut the string so that it just touches the bottom of the glass. Tie a button onto the bottom of the string.
 * Step 5:** Pour the cooled sugar water into the glass. Rest the pencil across the rim of the glass so that the string and button are in the solution.
 * Step 6:** Allow the glass to sit in a warm place without being disturbed for several days so that the water evaporates. As the water evaporates, it will leave sugar crystals on the string. You've just made rock candy.

=__Magic Crystal Snowflake__=

A magical snowflake that grows overnight and won't melt
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Bringing real snowflakes inside individually is next to impossible. So, to work around this conundrum, we've come up with the Magic Crystal Snowflake. This special snowflake is just a beautiful and unique as a snowflake from the sky, but it won't melt! The Magic Crystal Snowflake uses some fun hands-on chemistry and makes a perfect holiday experiment.

Materials

 * Pipe cleaners (white, if possible)
 * String
 * Wide-mouthed jar
 * Borax (check your local grocer's laundry section)
 * A pencil
 * Boiling water
 * Food coloring (optional)
 * Scissors


 * Procedure:**
 * Using a pair of scissors, cut a pipe cleaner into three equal sections.
 * Twist the three pipe cleaner sections together at their centers to form a six-sided snowflake. Don't stress if the sides aren't perfectly even, little imperfections make it beautiful.
 * Make sure that the shape can fit through the mouth of the wide-mouthed jar without having to squeeze through. If it can't, trim the sides down.
 * Cut a 4" length of string to one side of the snowflake. Tie the other end of the string to a pencil. You want the length of your string to be enough that the snowflake hangs into the jar but doesn't touch the bottom. Once you have your length set, remove the apparatus from the jar.
 * Bring a pot of water to a boil and pour into the jar. Add 3 tablespoons of borax per each cup of water a stir. It's alright if some borax settles to the bottom of the jar.
 * If you want a colored snowflake, stir in some food coloring.
 * Hang the pipe cleaner snowflake into the jar with the pencil resting on top of the jar. Make sure that you've added enough water to completely submerge the snowflake.
 * Put the jar somewhere where it is safe from being disturbed. Seriously! You don't even want it to be bumped! Let it stay there overnight.
 * The next day, check out the gorgeous crystals!

=Magic Crystal Tree=

Create a magically colorful, snow-covered tree
media type="youtube" key="JYqq3XGtbs4?rel=0" height="480" width="853" Impress your friends by creating a colorful Christmas tree out of salt crystals, cardboard, and a few other household items. Within a day, you'll have a colorful snow-covered tree that seemed to magically sprout from nothing!

Materials

 * Bluing (check your local supermarket cleaning section)
 * Table salt
 * Household ammonia (bleach)
 * Thin cardboard (like the type from the back of a notepad, not corrugated)
 * Pen or pencil
 * Scissors
 * Bowl
 * Water
 * Measuring spoon
 * Food coloring
 * Adult supervision


 * Procedure:**
 * Trace two Christmas tree shapes onto the cardboard and cut them out.
 * Cut a slot down the middle of one tree shape. Start at the top and stop in the middle of the shape.
 * In the other tree shape, cut another slot down the middle. On this shape, start at the bottom and cut to the middle.
 * Slide the two slots together, creating a three-dimensional tree shape that can stand by itself.
 * Add drops of food coloring to the edges of the cardboard and let the food coloring soak into the cardboard.
 * Using the bowl, mix these ingredients together:
 * 1 tablespoon of water
 * 1 tablespoon salt
 * 1 tablespoon bluing
 * 1/2 tablespoon of household ammonia
 * Stand your tree in the middle of the bowl containing your magic solution and be patient. Over the next 10 to 12 hours, your Magic Crystal Tree will grow and grow and grow! Pretty soon, you'll have a colorful snow-covered tree that grew by pure magic.

How does it work?
You probably have us figured out... that Magic Crystal Tree isn't magic at all! You're right, but do you know the science behind the crystalline growth of the cardboard tree?

The main principle at work here is //capillary action//. Capillary action is the same process that enables plants and trees to take water and nutrients from the soil up through their stems or trunks and into their leaves, branches, flowers, and fruit. The cardboard tree uses the same process to draw the magic solution up through its entire shape until the cardboard has soaked itself in the solution.

After the magic solution has been drawn throughout the tree by capillary action, the solution begins to evaporate. The evaporation process is accelerated by the ammonia, which evaporates more quickly than water. As the magic solution evaporates off of the tree, the crystals are left behind on the branches of the tree.

The magic crystals that are left behind are a combination of the Mrs. Stewart's Bluing and the table salt. The bluing is a //colloid//, with many tiny particles suspending themselves within the water. It's just like when you shake up a snow globe, except the particles of bluing are much smaller than the snow. These tiny suspended particles aid the dissolved salt in crystalizing as the magic solution evaporates.