Expert: Sue Kayton Date: 2/26/2008 Subject: crystals
Question I am in the 3rd grade. My science project is about crystals. My question was Would crystals form faster in warm temperature or in cold temperature? I can't find any information on how this project could apply to real life. Can you help me?
Answer Most chemical reactions happen faster when it's warmer. Forming crystals also happens faster when it's warmer. You can do this experiment yourself by making rock candy.
Heat up some water in a pot on the stove and dump in a bunch of sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Now pour and equal amount of the sugar into three clear glasses. Tie some string around a pencil. Rest the pencil across the top of the glas so the string falls down into the glass. The sugar will form crystals on the string and make rock candy.
To test the effect of temperature, put one glass of sugar water in the refrigerator where it's cold. Put one glass of sugar water on the kitchen counter. Now put another glass of sugar water someplace warm - like near a heater, or next to a sunny window. Try not to disturb the glasses by shaking them or bumping them.
Over the next week, watch the sugar crystals grow. I bet they grow faster where it's warmer.
How does this apply to real life? The brains of a computer is the "chip" which is a slice of a silicon crystal. The computer manufacturers grow giant crystals of silicon to slice up to make computers and other electronic parts. They keep that part of the factory warm so the crystals will grow faster.
If you live someplace where it snows, you will notice that snowflakes are larger when it's warmer, and are smaller when it's very cold. That's because the snowflakes grow faster (so they get bigger) when it's warmer.
There are many, many more real world examples. Hope this answers your question.
