ALUM CRYSTALS

Materials Needed:

• 1 ounce of alum, not all of it will be used because not all of it will dissolve in the solution (this can be bought in the grocery store in the spice section or chemist shop)
• 1/2 hot water, NOT boiling water
• sewing thread or nylon thread (cotton thread will grow crystals along its length)
• 2 clean jars or cups
• spoon or straw for stirring
• a piece of stick or a pencil to suspend your crystal
• a piece of cloth to keep out dust and bugs
  
  
  Growing the Crystal:
  
  
  • Step 1: Add in the alum to the cup of hot water slowly. DO NOT POUR THE WHOLE OUNCE IN IMMEDIATELY! Stir in what the water will disolve. Cover the cup with the piece of cloth and leave it overnight.
    
  • Step 2: Check on it the next day. There should be a few chunks or crystals of the solid alum at the bottom. Those will then act as the seeds for bigger crystals.Pour the remaining alum water without the crytals that formaed at the bottom to the other clean jar. Choose the largest and best shaped crystal to act as the seed.
    
  • Step 3:Tie a piece of thread around the stick or what you chose to use to suspend the crystal and then tie the other end to the crystal. Suspend this piece into the the alum water that you transfered in step 2.
    
  • Step 4: After doing all the above leave the alum water and crystal in a warm place to aid evaporation. If more smal crystals form at the bottom spoon them out because they will slow down the big crystal from growing.The crystal should grow for about 2 weeks and when it does stop growing take it out and wrap it in a tissue. <----------Approximate shape of alum crystal
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