Activity:
Grow Salt Crystals!
Crystals are a very special structure. They grow in a pattern that is organized and three dimensional, without any help from us. Most crystals take years to form under pressure and heat, and they have strong attractions that draw them together into their patterns. In this activity, we are going to grow salt crystals!
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What You Need:
- Small baby food jar
- Tap water
- 2 tablespoons of Epsom salts
- Spoon
- Scissors
- Sheet of dark construction paper
- Saucer
What You Do:
- Fill your jar half full of water and add the Epsom salts. Stir.
- Cut a circle out of the construction paper to fit the inside of the saucer.
- Pour a thin layer of the salt solution over the paper but do not pour the undissolved salt onto the paper.
- Place the saucer in a warm place and let it sit for several days.
What Happened?
The results will be needle shaped crystals that form from the salts. These are the natural shape of Epsom salts. The reason they don't look like this in the box is because they have been crushed. As the water evaporates the crystals start to stack up together, and the longer it evaporates the more crystals you will have!
