You will need: a jar, some boiling water, string, a spoon, salt, patience!
Stir salt into boiling hot water until no more salt will dissolve (crystals start to appear at the bottom of the container). Be sure the water is as close to boiling as possible. Carefully pour the solution into your jar. (putting a spoon into the jar before adding the water should prevent the jar breaking. Suspend your string into the jar from the spoon laid across the top of the jar. Leave your jar somewhere it will not be disturbed and wait for your crystal to grow!
Once your crystals have grown, you can look for some interesting things in them:
- Any impurities in the salt or the water will change the shape and colour of the crystals you grow. What shape and colour are yours?
- Try using different types of table salt – try iodized salt, un-iodized salt, sea salt, or even salt substitutes. Is any difference in the appearance of the crystals?
- Try using different types of water, such as tap water compared with distilled water. Is there any difference in the appearance of the crystals?
