How Does Your Garden Grow? Investigating the "Magic Salt Crystal Garden"

In this Activity, students investigate the chemistry of the popular Salt Crystal Garden. They grow salt crystals by evaporation from aqueous solutions containing various mixtures of table salt, ammonia, and laundry bluing in order to determine the purpose of each component. This Activity can be used to introduce: separation of solute from solution by evaporation; crystal formation and growth; preparation of solutions of specific composition; experimental design; and chromatography. It could be used at the end of the school year as a review or application of topics covered in class.

Citation: 

Gettys, N. S.; Jacobsen, E. K.; 2000, 77, 624A.

Year: 
2000
issue: 
5
Page: 
624A
Article type: