How to Make Salt Crystals
The solid form of an ionic compound is called a salt crystal. Most ionic salts are readily soluble in water and there are no free electrons in ionic salt crystals, which is the reason why they are considered to be very good insulators. They are hard, brittle at room temperature and possess high melting and boiling points. If you like science and are interested in crystals, you can adopt a hobby of making salt crystals at home. This can be an extremely enjoyable activity for science lovers apart from enhancing their knowledge and abilities.
Things Required:
– Boiling pot
– Jar
– Salt: 2 to 3 tablespoons
– String
– Pencil
– Spoon
Instructions
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1
Boil a pot of hot water
The first step towards making salt crystals is to boil a pot of hot water. Once it is boiled, you need to pour it into a nice clean jar. -
2
Add salt
Having poured the boiled water into a jar, you are now required to add approximately 2 to 3 tablespoons of salt in the water. You should now stir the mixture nicely with the help of a spoon and keep doing that until you are not able to see the salt grains in the water. -
3
Keep adding salt
Now you need to keep adding the salt until you reach a stage where it stops dissolving in the water. Put the salt slowly in the jar while you stir it. You will find that the solution is now saturated. -
4
Put on the lid
You should now put on the lid and close it down tightly. -
5
Tie a string around a small stick
Grab a string and tie it with a small stick. Many people, who regularly make salt crystals, use a lead pencil for this purpose. Cut the string to a length that it hangs in the water if the pencil or the stick is placed horizontally on top of the jar. -
6
Balance the pencil on the jar
Open the lid of the jar and place the pencil over it horizontally. Try to balance the pencil and allow the string to hang in water. -
7
Leave the jar in a sunny place
You should now leave the jar in a sunny place for about 1 to 3 weeks, depending on the temperature in your area. Keep checking the jar every other day to see if the crystals have been made.
