THE CRYSTAL GROWING LAB AND CONTEST
PRELAB DUE ON TURNITIN JAN 3-CRYSTALS DUE ON JANUARY 10. THIS WILL COUNT AS A DO-HOME STATE LAB
1) THE PRELAB SHOULD EXPLAIN HOW YOU WILL GROW YOUR CRYSTAL...(AS LARGE AS POSSABILE). YOU WILL USE EPSONSALTS (MgSO4) FROM THE PHARMACY OR SUPERMARKET...IT IS VERY INEXPENSIVE. YOU SHOULD CITE FOUR SOURCES...NOT WIKIPEDIA. YOUR PROCEDURE SHOULD BE STEP BY STEP WITH GREAT DETAIL, AND YOU SHOULD HAVE PICTURES OF YOUR CRYSTAL(S) AS THEY GROW. BELOW I HAVE INCLUDED SOME SOURCES...REMEMBER TO PUT THE FACTS INTO YOUR OWN WORDS OR YOUR MATCH SCORE WILL BE HIGH.
THE LINK BELOW IS A BASIC AND SIMPLE INTRODUCTION TO CRYSTAL GROWING.
THE LINK BELOW IS MORE DESCRIPTIVE AND PROCEDURAL...NOTE YOU WILL NOT HAVE THE EQUIPMENT MENTIONED...I WILL LIST EQUIPMENT IN ANOTHER SECTION.
2) EQUIPMENT: YOU CAN GROW YOUR CRYSTAL IN ANY CONTAINER THAT IS CLEAN AND WATER PROOF (DO NOT USE PAPER CUPS). PLASTIC CUPS OR OLD GLASSES ARE FINE (ASK FIRST...DONOT RAID YOUR FAMILY CUPBOARDS)! YOU CAN MEASURE THE WATER IN A MEASURING CUP (29.5 mL per 1 ounce) OR A SYRINGE (1 cc is one mL) which you can obtain FROM A PHARMACY...NO NEEDLE TYPE.
Y0U PROBABLY DO NOT NEED TO WEIGH THE SALT, HOWEVER IF YOU NEED TO WEIGH THE SALT...USE A FOOD SCALE (28.3 grams per 1 ounce)...BE CERTAIN NOT TO LET THE SALT TOUCH THE SCALE...USE A PIECE OF WAX PAPER AS WEIGHTING PAPER.
3) BE CREATIVE...YOU CAN ALSO USE BORAX (FROM SUPERMARKET LAUNDRY SECTION) OR OTHER SALTS. THE SALTS YOU CAN GET AT THE MARKET ARE SAFE.
4) THE CONTEST...YOU MAY OPTIONALLY ENTER THE CRYSTAL CONTEST BY DONATING $ 5.00 TO THE COLLECTION, THE WINNER GETS 10% OF THE POT...THE REST GOES TO A PREP STUDENT WHO SUFFERS FROM A RARE AND UNINSURED ILLNESS...ITS A GOOD CAUSE.
5) RULES...THERE ARE NONE...THIS IS LIKE EARLY UFC. THE ONLY RULE IS YOU MUST DOCCUMENT YOUR CRYSTALS GROWTH IN PICTURES FROM BEGINNIG TO END. THE OTHER RULE IS:
-DO NOT USE ANY TOXIC SUBSTANCES EVEN IF YOU CAN BUY THEM(UNLIKELY)...THESE INCLUDE SALTS OF: NITRATES, CHROMATES, DICHROMATE, PERMANGANATE, CHLORATE, HYPOCHLORITE OR SALTS WITH LEAD OR MURCURY.
-SALTS YOU CAN USE ARE TATRATES, SULFATES, PHOSPHATES, CHLORIDES, AMMONIUM, ACETATES, CITRATES.