Magical Crystal Garden: DIY Borax Crystal Experiment

 

Ages: 8-12

Objective: Engage children in an exciting and educational experiment to grow their own crystal garden using simple household materials, while learning about supersaturated solutions and crystal formation.

Materials Needed:

1. Wide-mouthed glass jar or container
2. Pipe cleaners (assorted colors)
3. Borax powder (found in the laundry aisle of most supermarkets)
4. Boiling water
5. Pencil or wooden stick
6. String or fishing line
7. Optional: Food coloring for colorful crystals
8. Optional: Glitter for added sparkle

Procedure:

1. Begin by shaping the pipe cleaners into various shapes and designs to create the "seeds" for your crystal garden. Examples include flowers, stars, or geometric shapes. Ensure that the shapes fit comfortably inside the glass jar without touching the sides or bottom.

2. Attach a piece of string or fishing line to each pipe cleaner shape, securing it tightly with a knot. The string will be used to suspend the shapes in the borax solution.

3. Fill the glass jar with boiling water, leaving some space at the top to allow for the addition of borax powder.

4. Gradually add borax powder to the boiling water, stirring continuously until no more powder dissolves. Keep adding borax powder until the solution is supersaturated, meaning that it cannot dissolve any more borax and there are visible undissolved particles at the bottom of the jar. The solution should be very concentrated but still clear.

5. Optional: Add a few drops of food coloring to the borax solution to create colorful crystals. Stir well to distribute the color evenly.

6. Carefully lower the pipe cleaner shapes into the borax solution, ensuring that they are fully submerged and not touching each other or the sides of the jar.

7. Use a pencil or wooden stick to suspend the pipe cleaner shapes from the rim of the glass jar, allowing them to hang freely in the solution.

8. Place the glass jar in a cool, undisturbed area where it won't be disturbed. Allow the crystal garden to grow undisturbed for 24-48 hours, or until the desired size and shape of the crystals are achieved.

9. Once the crystals have formed to your liking, carefully remove them from the jar and set them aside to dry on a paper towel or drying rack.

10. Display your magical crystal garden proudly and observe the beautiful crystal formations sparkling in the light.

Explanation:

• The DIY borax crystal experiment demonstrates the principles of supersaturation and crystal formation. When borax powder is dissolved in boiling water, it forms a supersaturated solution, meaning that it contains more dissolved solute (borax) than would normally be possible at that temperature.
• As the borax solution cools, the excess borax molecules begin to come out of the solution and form crystals on the surfaces of the pipe cleaner shapes. Over time, these crystals grow larger and larger, creating beautiful and intricate crystal formations.

Extensions:

1. Encourage children to experiment with different shapes and designs for their crystal garden, using different colors of pipe cleaners and adding glitter for added sparkle.
2. Discuss with children the science behind supersaturated solutions and crystal formation, using the experiment as a hands-on demonstration.
3. Explore other variations of the experiment, such as using different types of solutes (such as Epsom salt or sugar) or different temperatures of water to see how they affect the size, shape, and growth rate of the crystals.
4. Challenge kids to create hypotheses and conduct experiments to test how factors such as stirring, cooling rate, or concentration affect the formation of crystals in the borax solution.
5. Host a "crystal garden party" where children can make their own borax crystal gardens and compare their results with each other.

Safety Note:

• Borax powder can be irritating to the skin and eyes, so it's important to handle it with care and avoid direct contact. Supervise children closely during the experiment and ensure they wash their hands thoroughly after handling borax.