Rock Candy

By : Kassi Bromley

How dose sugar turn into crystals (rock candy)

Why? I thought it would be fun.

Hypothesis

Step 3. What is the rate of growth between rocky candy that is left to

nucleate on its own in the solution and rock candy that starts off with some

assistance? To assist this rock candy, you will jump-start the nucleation process by

adding sugar crystals called SEED CRYSTALS, to the string first.

I believe the “helped” or assisted solution will grow faster.

Explanation. More sugar will make it grow faster

facts

• With so many molecules in the liquid, they bump into one another and create a nucleation event .

• Sugar turns into crystals.

Experiment • Materials needed

yarn water cup a tablespoon measuring spoon small plate granulated white suar (3 cups) wax paper screw to use as a weight popsicle sticks (2) marker (to write with) tape glass jars (make sure they are identical in size and shape pot stove measuring cup (for liquid ingredients) measuring cup (for dry ingredients) wooden mixing spool pot holders paper towels

• step by step directions: Day 1 1.First I cut two

pieces of yarn. (Cut 1 inch longer then the jar)• Put one of the pieces of yarn to the side. (Do nothing with it)• Soak the other piece in a cup of water for 5 minutes.• After soaking , use your hand to squeeze the excess water from the string. Roll the

string in 1 tablespoon of sugar on a plate. The string will be coated with sugar. These small bits of sugar are the seeds of which the other sugar crystals might grow.

• Lay both the your seeded (sugar coated) string and your non-seeded string on a piece of wax paper over night. Make sure they are not touching.

• Day 2• Prepare the strings• Take your seeded strings and tie one end to the screw. It is okay if some of the sugar

falls off while you are tying it to the weight. Repeat the process with the non-seeded string and a second weight. Be sure to use the same kind of weight for the string.

• Tie the other end of each piece of string to a skewer, Popsicle stick or pencil. Use a marker, color the edges of the skewer that is holding the seeded string, that way you will know later which is which.

• Lower the weighted end of the seeded string into one of the jars and rest the skewer across the mouth of the jar. Roll the skewer to wind the string until the weight is suspended approximately 1 centimeter (cm) from the bottom of the jar, which you can measure with your ruler. Tape the string around the skewer so that the length of the string cannot change. Repeat this process for the non-seeded string, then take the skewers and strings out of the jars and set them aside. Preheat the glass jars. This will ensure that you are not adding your hot sugar-water solution to a cold jar, which would result in a dramatic temperature change that might make small crystals form along the glass. The small crystals would disrupt your rock candy formations.

• 4. Boil enough water to fill both jars. • When the water is boiling, carefully pour it into the jars. You might want to use a

funnel to avoid spilling too much water. • Let the full jars sit, with the hot water in them, until your sugar-water solution is

ready. • 3. Make the sugar-water solution. • Using a liquid measuring cup, add 1 cup of water to a pot. Bring the water to a

rolling boil on the stove. Turn the heat down to low. Note: if you are using jars that are larger than 14 oz, heat 2 cups of water.

• Using a dry measuring cup, add 2 cups of sugar to the hot water. Note: if you are using jars that are larger than 14 oz, add 4 cups of sugar.

• Mix with a wooden mixing spoon until all the sugar has dissolved. • Turn the heat back up and wait until the sugar-water solution returns to a rolling

boil. Make sure to keep stirring so the temperature is consistent throughout the solution.

• Remove the boiling sugar-water solution from the stove. • Continue to add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir thoroughly after each added

spoonful, making sure that the sugar is completely dissolved before adding another spoonful. Note: do not confuse the tiny little bubbles in the solution for undissolved sugar. You can tell them apart by stopping your stirring for a moment; the sugar will settle to the bottom of the pan, the bubbles will remain suspended throughout the solution.

• Keep adding sugar until no more will dissolve in the solution. If you think you've added too much sugar to your solution, don't worry. Keep stirring and if even after a full 2 minutes of stirring, you have undissolved sugar at the bottom of your pot, return the pot to the stove. Heat the solution until it just begins to boil, then remove it from the stove. This should help you to get that last bit of sugar into the solution.

• After the last bit of sugar has been dissolved, allow the solution to cool for

• 5 minutes.

solution.

• 5. Pour the hot water out of the preheated glass jars. • 6. After the sugar-water solution has cooled for 5 minutes,

pour the solution• into the two preheated glass jars, dividing the liquid equally

between the• two containers. • Using pot holders, move the jars of sugar-water solution to a place

where• they can be left undisturbed for one week. Place both jars in the

same • location. Large fluctuations in temperature can interfere with the• crystallization process, so avoid putting the jars in places that get

direct • sunlight, or are near a heating or cooling vent. • Gently lower the weighted strings into the jars of sugar-water

solution, one string per jar. • Securely tape the skewers holding the strings to the edges of the

jars to prevent the strings from being accidentally jostled. See Figure 3 below.

• Loosely cover the jars with a paper towel to prevent dust and debris from flying in, while still allowing evaporation to occur.

Observation from experiment

• First, there was just water and sugar

• Second, there was thick sugar crystals

• Third, there was clumping• Fourth, they began to take shape

Data/analysis of data

• I am growing crystals it will take about 1 week 3 days.

• a. Yes the experiment tested my hypothesis. B.it developed like I thought it would.

Conclusion/references

• Yes my hypothesis was correct. But more sugar would of helped.Why dose it grow that way.

• For my references I used a computer.