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i tried a similar 'experiment' once with sugar to make rock candy, failed the first attempt my grandma saw and told me to use the rest of the string and sugar

i tried a similar 'experiment' once with sugar to make rock candy, failed the first attempt my grandma saw and told me to use the rest of the string and sugar I had, enough for 12 more tries, and do them at once but in different areas of the house only two actually grew but i learned the value of spreading risk and unknown unknowns ( much later, on reflection :) )

dylan604 5y ago
Did this as a kid as well. When I got to high school chemistry, we did an experiment on super saturation of the sugar. Much better results, much faster!
- dekhn 5y ago
  When I wanted crystals for microscopy, I made a mother liquor by pouring an enormous amount of sugar in a tiny amount of water (beyond saturation) and then just let the solvent evaporate in a heated chamber. Made big rocks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_liquor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_liquor
  - dylan604 5y ago
    Never heard that term before. Not sure I understand the point though. After you supersaturate and then form crystals, the mother liquor is just the left over content that didn't make it into the crystals. What is the purpose of using those remnants?
    - dekhn 5y ago
      mainly to get more crystals and as a growth medium for existing crystals.
- sumtechguy 5y ago
  hehe I did that super saturation thing as a kid. one of the instructions was pour until saturation happens. It didnt. I ended up with 5 pounds of rock candy.
  - dylan604 5y ago
    Did you do the version where you let the super saturated solution cool down slowly, and then drop a single grain of sugar into it?
    - sumtechguy 5y ago
      That was the plan. But never got to the 'super saturation' point where it would no longer melt in. Knowing what I know now I figure the temp was too high. Least I got an A as I had pounds of crystals. We added flavoring and coloring to some of it and gave most of it away.
spike021 5y ago
We did a rock candy experiment in 6th grade and probably attempted it a few separate times, specifically because we kept having issues. I think at least one batch got moldy. But, if I'm remembering correctly (this is over a decade ago), we may have been placing the dishes near where sunlight hit, so that could've been part of it.

dylan604 5y ago

Did this as a kid as well. When I got to high school chemistry, we did an experiment on super saturation of the sugar. Much better results, much faster!

dekhn 5y ago
When I wanted crystals for microscopy, I made a mother liquor by pouring an enormous amount of sugar in a tiny amount of water (beyond saturation) and then just let the solvent evaporate in a heated chamber. Made big rocks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_liquor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_liquor
- dylan604 5y ago
  Never heard that term before. Not sure I understand the point though. After you supersaturate and then form crystals, the mother liquor is just the left over content that didn't make it into the crystals. What is the purpose of using those remnants?
  - dekhn 5y ago
    mainly to get more crystals and as a growth medium for existing crystals.
sumtechguy 5y ago
hehe I did that super saturation thing as a kid. one of the instructions was pour until saturation happens. It didnt. I ended up with 5 pounds of rock candy.
- dylan604 5y ago
  Did you do the version where you let the super saturated solution cool down slowly, and then drop a single grain of sugar into it?
  - sumtechguy 5y ago
    That was the plan. But never got to the 'super saturation' point where it would no longer melt in. Knowing what I know now I figure the temp was too high. Least I got an A as I had pounds of crystals. We added flavoring and coloring to some of it and gave most of it away.

spike021 5y ago

We did a rock candy experiment in 6th grade and probably attempted it a few separate times, specifically because we kept having issues. I think at least one batch got moldy. But, if I'm remembering correctly (this is over a decade ago), we may have been placing the dishes near where sunlight hit, so that could've been part of it.