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OLogy: Grow Rock Candy

Create your own crystals with sugar. Then enjoy your tasty treat!

Whether it’s big or small, rough or smooth, almost every rock is made of minerals. Each mineral has a unique crystal pattern and compostion.

Think about the mineral salt. It is made of cube- shaped crystals. No matter where you find it — on your table or at the beach — its crystals will be shaped like cubes. Look at the drawings of the crystals that make up diamonds, muscovite, quartz, and topaz. How would you describe their crystal shape?

The same mineral can have different colors. This is caused by small amounts of different elements that got into the mineral when it was forming. While the color of a mineral may vary, its crystal shape is always the same.

For example, diamonds can be clear, yellow, pink, and even blue, but its crystals will always have eight faces (sides).

Now it’s your turn to grow crystals by making rock candy!


OLogy (American Museum of Natural History)
Science Topics
Chemistry, Food Science, Geology, Solubility & Saturation
K-6
Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade

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Resource k12

OLogy: Grow Rock Candy

Create your own crystals with sugar. Then enjoy your tasty treat!

Whether it’s big or small, rough or smooth, almost every rock is made of minerals. Each mineral has a unique crystal pattern and compostion.

Think about the mineral salt. It is made of cube- shaped crystals. No matter where you find it — on your table or at the beach — its crystals will be shaped like cubes. Look at the drawings of the crystals that make up diamonds, muscovite, quartz, and topaz. How would you describe their crystal shape?

The same mineral can have different colors. This is caused by small amounts of different elements that got into the mineral when it was forming. While the color of a mineral may vary, its crystal shape is always the same.

For example, diamonds can be clear, yellow, pink, and even blue, but its crystals will always have eight faces (sides).

Now it’s your turn to grow crystals by making rock candy!

OLogy (American Museum of Natural History)
Science Topics
Chemistry, Food Science, Geology, Solubility & Saturation
K-6
Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade

What are you looking for?

Organization

OLogy (American Museum of Natural History)

Website URL

Type of Resource

Tutorial

Assigned Categories