The problem we will be solving is which liquid substance will make a sugar crystal increase in size and why.
We will be using four different types of liquids (Orange Juice,). We will grow a couple of crystals (using sugar and water) and we will take four crystals of same dimensions and suspend each of them in a jar containing a certain amount of each liquid. Each jar will contain the same amount of liquid.
Our hypothesis is that we think that the sugar crystal will grow the most in the water. We think this because the crystal was made with the help of water so it would make sense that it would increase in size in the water.
Our independent variables will be the four different types of liquid. The size of the jar, the amount of liquid and the temperature of the room will remain constant. The change in size of the crystal is the dependent variable.
Crystals are solids that form by a pattern of molecules that are forming together. Solids have the arrangement of atoms and molecules that can be random or different throughout the material. In crystals, the collection of atoms that are called the Unit Cell is repeated in exactly the same arrangement throughout the entire material.
Crystals are created by a process called nucleation. Nucleation can start with molecules themselves, or with the help of other matter already in the solution. There are a lot of different types of crystals, but there are 7 crystal systems and each system has their own type of crystals. The 7 systems are: triclinic, monoclinic, orthorhombic, tetragonal, trigonal, hexagonal, and cubic.
Crystals have different shapes and sizes because of two factors. The first is: The internal symmetry of crystal and the second is: The relative growth rates along the various directions in the crystal. Pretend that a crystal has perpendicular axes, a, b, and c. Suppose the crystal grows at equal rates along a, b, and c, then the shape of a crystal will be a cube. Now pretend that the crystal grows faster in the a and b direction, but grows slower in the c direction. The crystal will then grow thin plates with the face of the plate’s perpendicular to c.
Unit Cell: collection of atoms.
Nucleation: Process of crystal growth.
Triclinic: Having three unequal axes intersecting at oblique angles.
Monoclinic: Relating to three unequal crystal axes, two of which intersect obliquely and are perpendicular to the third.
Orthorhombic: Relating to a crystalline structure of three mutually perpendicular axes of different length.
Tetragonal: A four-sided polygon; a quadrilateral`.
It is important because it shows how people can grow crystal like in the store where people sell crystals. The key leader in this area of research is called *. The challenging and interesting in this part of the field is that this topic is very arguable rather using which liquid to make crystals to grow faster and better then others. The other interesting part was how the crystals evolve as time past. The arguments outside are what should they use in order for the crystals to grow faster and better then others. The unknown part of our field is what kind of source is still the best for growing crystals.
In the future crystals can replace diamonds. During theses few years we have been digging diamonds and other rubies and soon they will be gone but crystals can be made unlike digging in to earth. Diamonds and other rubies are being digged all over the world including South Africa where they are digging pretty deep in to mother earth. This can also involve into other aspect such as what will grow more effectively using other sources. The fears of the future are people learn more how to make theses crystals so they are similar to rubies or diamonds and sell it for a high price but it is fake. The hope for the future is how we use crystals in the future in a good way rather then using it in a bad way.
Those ideas mentioned above could be the future of what we use for crystals now. This leads into our project of how other liquid affect the growth of crystals.