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Learners grow sugar crystals (rock candy). They make a hot solution that has an excess of sugar dissolved in it, then as the solution cools, they see sugar crystals form. Learners can use food coloring to grow crystals of different colors and can reuse their rock candy as a seed crystal to make larger sugar crystals. This resource contains background information about different crystal structures and properties. This activity requires adult supervision.
- Under 5 minutes
- 4 to 24 hours
- $1 - $5 per student
- Ages 6 - 11
- Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity
- English
Quick Guide
Materials List (per student)
- 1 pencil
- 1 large paper clip
- tall, narrow glass
- 1 piece of non-colored string (about 2 inches longer than the height of your glass)
- 1 cup of water
- 3 cups of sugar
- 1 saucepan
- wooden spoon
- stovetop or burner
- clock or timer
- food coloring
Subjects
-
Earth and Space Science
-
Earth Structure
- Rocks and Minerals
-
Earth Structure
-
Physical Sciences
-
Chemistry
- Solutions
-
States of Matter
- Solids
- Liquids
-
Chemistry
Informal Categories
- Food and Cooking
Audience
To use this activity, learners need to:
- see
- see color
- taste
- touch
Learning styles supported:
- Involves hands-on or lab activities
Other
This resource is part of:
Access Rights:
- Free access
By:
Source Collection
- Ology
Rights:
- All rights reserved, American Museum of Natural History,