Chem Mini Project 3: Making my own rock candy!!

I don't have to buy rock candy from stores anymore! Since I now know how to make my own rock candy. :)


Materials:

• 1 cup of water
• 3 cups of table sugar or sucrose
• a clean glass jar
• a pencil or a Popsicle stick
• string
• a pan or bowl for boiling water and making solution
• spoon or stirring rod
• a hot plate
• a lifesaver hard candy

How I Made It:

1. Mix the sugar and water together.
   
2. Then put it on a hot plate and turn it on high until the sugar is dissolved into the water.
3. Next, tie the string to the Popsicle stick and the other end of the string through the hole of the lifesaver candy and tie a knot.
4. Pour water onto the hanging string and cover the string with sugar.
5. Pour the sugar water mixture into the small jar.
6. Balance the Popsicle stick on top of the jar and leave the lifesaver candy hanging so that it does not touch the bottom of the jar.
7. Place it somewhere safe and come back after 3-7 days to see the formation of crystals!

Science:
Since water is the universal solvent, many substances can dissolve in it, including sugar. However, at a certain point, a substance cannot dissolve anymore and that is when we know that the solution is saturated. When we heated the water and sugar, we increased the saturation capacity, making it possible for more sugar to dissolve because heat causes molecules to move apart and have more energy.

When we cool the water down, the solution becomes supersaturated, having too much sugar. Since we placed the string in a supersaturated solution, the sugar will be attracted the the already-existing solid molecules stuck to the string, therefore creating crystals. As time passes by, the water will evaporate while the sugar remains in the solution. Because it will become more saturated, more sugar will be added and our crystal will grow bigger and bigger.


Photocredit to Erica Sue 5th period: