Crystallisation Copper Sulphate #Exp12

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE KIT

• 1kg Copper Sulphate
• 2 Petri dishes
• Does not include: Glass Wand, Thread, Distilled Water and Precipitated Beakers, which you will need to purchase from a retailer.

DETAILED STEP-BY-STEP

• The crystallisation of Copper Sulphate requires 2 parts:
• A) Creating a Seed
• B) Growing the crystal on the Seed

A) CREATE A SEED

• We must use 100ml of distilled water and 75g of copper sulphate. We prepare the mixture, heat it well and transfer part of the solution to a Petri dish, leaving it to stand for 1 day. As a result, we obtain small crystals, which will be our 'Seeds'.

(B) TO GROW THE CRYSTAL ON THE SEED

• We must prepare a new solution, we use 200ml of Distilled Water and 150g of Copper Sulphate. We heat it, mix it well and add it to a Precipitated Beaker.
• On the other hand, we prepare the seed with a fishing line and with the help of a rod or similar, we introduce it into the solution. After 24 hours we can see how we have obtained a small crystal attached to our seed.

HOW DO WE GET A LARGER CRYSTAL?

• Add 100ml of distilled water and 75g of copper sulphate to the remaining solution. Heat, dissolve well and transfer back to a beaker.
• We introduce the crystal into this solution so that it continues to form.
• After 24 hours, we can see how the glass has grown.

If you want a larger crystal, you can keep repeating this process until you get the size you want.

TECHNICAL EXPLANATION

Crystallisation is the process by which crystals are created from a powdered element. The basis of crystallisation is the greater solubility of an element at a higher temperature than at a lower temperature. Therefore, at a higher temperature, a larger amount of solvent can be dissolved.

As it cools, the slower the better, the solubility of the sulphate decreases and a crystal will form around the wire.

Since the crystal is formed by precipitation in a supersaturated solution, for the crystal to continue to grow, the crystal simply needs to be placed in another hot, supersaturated solution. As it cools, the crystal will continue to grow.