Experiment: Crystal Growth Apparatus

Artwork Finished Projects
1

Here’s how the experiment works:

  1. Crush a crayon and mothball into the same empty spice jar; repeat for all colours.
  2. Set the jars in a pot of boiling water.
  3. Wait until the mixtures melt completely.
  4. Using tongs, remove the jars from the pot of boiling water (not rendered).
  5. Place the jars in the cups, with one jar per cup (second render).
  6. Remove the jars from the cups after 20 minutes.

The mixtures will crystalise, but which colour (red, yellow or blue) will have the biggest crystals (also not rendered … yet)? And why?

T

Attachments

experiment-crystals-01.jpg1024×512 48.3 KB

experiment-crystals-02.jpg1024×512 32.3 KB

2

You may be referring to the color but would it be the heated jar that is placed in the cold cup? I think things that are heated and then rapidly cooled, become much colder at a quicker rate. I’m not really sure if this has anything to do with your experiment but I thought i’d give it a guess…GREAT RENDER!!! Beautiful the way crafted everything! 4 Stars!

P.S. Eager to know the answer lol!

3

Hi Cloud9Nimbus,

Thank you. There are three minor issues with which I’m not entirely pleased, but overall I’d say it was my best render to date. :slight_smile:

The answer is the red one, which will take the longest time to cool (because it is relatively hot compared with the other two), will have the largest crystals.

As the liquid mixture of mothball and crayon solidifies back into a waxy-mothball clump it will form crystals, but only so long as the mixture remains partly liquified. The faster the mixture cools, the faster it solidifies, the less time it the crystals can grow.

4

It seems like the mothballs would give off bad gasses when you boil them. Have you tried this yourself?
Good renders by the way.

5

Naphalene (sp?) from mothballs is not something you want to inhale on a daily basis. As long as you keep the mixture away from sparks, flame … and keep your nose away from the fumes, it’s okay to do the experiment.

I have not performed the experiment, yet. I have no mothballs at home. :slight_smile: