Vibrations & Crystal Formation
 Background Information
• What Types of Crystal Systems Are There?
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• There are 7 types of crystals systems, they are:    
1.Cubic System:             It is not always cube shaped.  It could have 8 or 10 faces.
2.Tetragonal System:      Close to cubic crystals but longer on one axis than the other, making double             pyramids and prisms.
3.Hexagonal System:      Has 6-sided prisms.  When you look at the crystal on end the cross section is             a hexagon.
4.Trigonal System:          Has a single 3-folded axis of rotation instead of the 6-fold axis of the hexagon.
5.Orthorhombic System:  It’s like tetragonal crystals except not squre in the cross section, making             rhombic prisms or dipryramibs.
6.Monoclinic System:      It’s like skewered tetragonal crystal, often forming prisms and double             pyramides.
7.Ticlinic System:             It’s usally not symmetrical from one side to the other, often forming prisms and                             double pyramids.
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• Borax belongs to the monoclinic system.
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• What is Borax?
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• Borax, also called sodium borate, sodium tetraborate or disodium tetraborate.  It is a mineral and a salt of boric acid.  It’s usually a white powder consisting of soft colorless crystals that dissolve easily in water.  It can be used for detergents, cosmetics, enamel glazes, fire retardant, anti-fungal, fiberglass and insecticide.  We, however, are going to be using it to make crystals for the experiment.
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• How do Borax Crystals Grow?
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• You start by dissolving borax powder in warm water.  Warm water can dissolve more than cold water.  When the water starts to cool, the excess borax joins in clumps and forms crystals.