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The winter holidays are always viewed with great anticipation at our house. Our children are excited about the holidays and about being out of school and spending extra time at home. One of our favorite activities during this time of year is to investigate the chemistry of crystal formation and create unique and beautiful winter decorations at the same time! Are you looking for a fun and educational science project your whole family can participate in during the holidays? Then growing borax snowflakes is for you. With a little “household science,” you can create long-lasting crystal snowflakes that are just as sparkling as the real ones. And, check out the other great science toys and science gifts on our site.

Using a specially designed photo-microscope, Kenneth Libbrecht the Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology, has spent the last 11 years catching and photographing tiny snowflakes.

Image of the Borax Snowflake

Concept:

Minerals from the earth sometimes grow into specific three-dimensional geometric shapes called a crystal. Borax is an example of a crystal. A crystal is a solid with flat sides and a symmetrical shape. It takes this form because its molecules are arranged in a unique, repeating pattern. Crystallization is a separation of solids and liquids when molecules cluster together in a repeated pattern. As the molecules group together, they try to become stable or solid. This process is also known as nucleation and is the beginning of crystal formation. As long as the temperature is consistent and the molecules outnumber the liquid, crystals will form. If the molecules cannot join the group, they are reabsorbed back into the liquid. Stalactites and stalagmites are great examples of natural crystal formations.

Objective:

To explore the formation of crystals and to observe the crystalline shape displayed by borax.

Materials:

1. String

2. Wide mouth jar, pint size

3. White pipe cleaners

4. Borax (Borax is available at grocery stores in the laundry soap section. 20 Mule Team Borax Laundry Booster is a good choice. Do not use Boraxo soap.)

5. Pencil

6. Boiling water

7. Food coloring (optional)

8. Scissors
    

Procedure:

1. Cut a pipe cleaner into three equal sections.

2. Twist the sections together at their centers to form a six-sided snowflake shape (or a heart shape, or a flower, butterfly, you get the idea!). The ends do not have to be even, you can trim them to get the shape you want. Make sure your snowflake fits inside the jar.

3. Tie the string to the end of one of the snowflake arms. Tie the other end of the string to the pencil. The string length should be such that the pencil just hangs the snowflake into the jar when resting on the top of the jar.

4. Fill the wide mouth pint jar with boiling water. Add borax one tablespoon at a time to the boiling water, stirring to dissolve after each addition. The total amount used is 3 tablespoons borax per 1 cup of water. It is okay if some un-dissolved borax settles to the bottom of the jar.

5. You may tint the mixture with food color if you wish.

6. Hang the pipe cleaner snowflake into the jar so that the pencil rests on top of the jar and the snowflake is completely covered with liquid. The snowflake should hang freely and not touch the bottom of the jar.

7. Allow the jar to sit undisturbed overnight.

8. Wow!!

9. Place it to dry over two layers of paper towels. Your snowflake can be used in a window to catch the sunlight, for decoration or as an ornament.
    

Questions:

What shape do other crystals take?

Salt and sugar are examples of crystals that can be formed using the same technique. How does their shape compare to that of the borax crystals? You will find that salt crystals are always cube shaped, and snow crystals always form a six-sided structure.

How do you think the borax crystals form?

Hot water holds more borax crystals than cold water. That's because heated water molecules move farther apart, making room for more of the borax crystals to dissolve. When no more of the solution can be dissolved, you have reached saturation. As this water/borax solution cools, the water molecules move closer together again. Now there's less room for the solution to hold onto as much of the dissolved borax. Crystals begin to form and build on one another as the water lets go of the excess and evaporates.

Note: Borax crystals are not edible. Adult supervision is recommended for this project.

Crystalline Candy!

You can try this same experiment using sugar to create your own rock candy! It takes longer for the crystals to form, but we think rock candy is worth the wait!

Prepare your jar. Cut a clean piece of string long enough to tie around the stick and dangle 2/3rds of the way to the bottom of the jar. Wet the string with water and roll it in sugar to create "seed crystals" for the larger crystals to grow on. Tie it onto the stick and place the stick over the mouth of the jar, letting the string dangle in the jar.

Create a supersaturated sugar solution, using twice as much sugar as water. Heat the sugar and water over low heat until the sugar dissolves.

Increase the heat until the mixture boils, stirring constantly. Allow it to boil without stirring for a minute.

Pour the sugar solution slowly into the jar. If your jar is not made of tempered glass, such as a canning jar or a Pyrex container, warm the glass with hot water to prevent it from cracking due to the quick change in temperature.

Place the jar in a well lit, warm area and allow it to sit undisturbed for several days. The longer it sits, the larger the crystals will grow. Once the crystals reach the desired size, remove the string, examine your crystals and enjoy.
 

Be sure to note the above warning that borax crystals are not edible. Do not mistakenly confuse your sugar crystals with your borax crystals.

Get the Ultimate Crystal Growing Kit!

If you enjoyed this experience, check out our Ultimate Crystal Growing Kit and other science toys and science gifts. You’ll learn all about the various forms crystals take, grow giant gems, glowing geodes and an entire crystal garden!

Go there now!

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