Crystal Growing

Reach into your kit & pull out the bag that says Experiment 23. Take everything out of the bag and place it around your white mat.

Unfold the sheet of black paper and place one petri dish onto each quadrant.

Now, grab the container and fill it to the 400 mark with hot water from the sink. Try to get it as hot as your can.

Using your thermometer, check to see how hot your water is. We need it to be between 56-58 degrees Celsius. If you need to make your water hotter, simply place the container in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Next, open the tube of Potassium Aluminum Sulfate and fill with your hot water to the 40 mark. Put the cap back on tightly and shake for 10 seconds to fully dissolve.

Let’s do the same thing with the tube of Potassium Chloride. Fill it with your hot water to the 40 mark, cap and shake to dissolve.

Next, fill the tube of Sodium Acetate to the 40 mark. This one has a bit more powder but it will settle as you pour in the water. Mix together and then check to see if you need to add more water once it starts to dissolve.

Finally, fill your last tube of Monoammonium Phosphate with your hot water to the 40 mark and shake for 10 seconds to dissolve.

Now, give each of the tubes another shake to make sure they are mixed well, and place them into the container of hot water for 1 minute to finish dissolving.

Be sure to setup your petri dishes someplace that they can be undisturbed for a few days. Then, place the rock in the center of one of the petri dishes.

Shake the tube of Potassium Chloride for another 10 seconds making sure there is no powder left, then pour it into one of the petri dishes without the rock. If you still have powder in the tube, place it back into the hot water bath for another minute and shake again.

Next, shake the tubes of Potassium Aluminum Sulfate and Sodium Acetate each for another 10 seconds making sure there is no powder left, then pour each into the remaining petri dishes without the rock.

Finally, Shake and add the tube of Monoammonium Phosphate to the petri dish with the rock. Be sure to pour it around the rock and not on top.

Now we have to wait. We should begin to see our first few crystals forming within a few hours, and they will continue to grow more and more over the next few days. For best results let them sit up to a week.