Rock Candy
By: Emma Phipps
Introduction
Have you ever looked at rock candy and wondered how it's made? Rock candy is actually a group of large sugar crystals that are "grown" from a sugar-water solution. Sugar, like many other things, can come in many different states. As a solid it can be either be without shape, like when it forms cotton candy or it can be with shape, like when it forms rock candy crystals.
Question
Does Temperature Affect the Growth of Sugar Crystals?
Hypothesis
I think that temperature does affect the growth of sugar crystals.
Independent and Dependent Variables
Independent Variable: Temperature of Water
Dependent Variable: Growth of Sugar Crystals
Procedure
1: Make a sugar-water solution and put it into 6 glasses/jars.
2: Find a warm area, a cold area and a room temperature area, put two jars in each area.
3: Observe the crystals and document the growth every few days. Write what you observe.
4: On day 7, measure the crystals.
Write what you observe.
5: On day 10, take the crystals out and measure them. Write what you observe.
6: Compare the measurements and graph them.
Set Up
Cold Temperature
No exposure to sunlight.
Room Temperature
No exposure to sunlight.
Hot Temperature
No exposure to sunlight.
Materials
6 Glass Jars
6 Wooden Skewers
6 Clothing Pins
Sugar
Boiling Water
Food Dye (Optional)
A Cold Area
A Hot Area
A Room Temperature Area.
- Ruler
How do sugar crystals form?
Any pure, solid, substance, will form crystals if oversaturated in a solution of water. If you dissolve egg white in water and then let it dry up, it will form crystals (these crystals may be too small to see, but they will be there). Crystals are just the most efficient way for atoms to fit together in a solid, so solids naturally crystallize, given the opportunity.
Day 5
Cold Temperature Day 5
Room Temperature Day 5
Hot Temperature Day 5
Very Bubbly.
Day 7
Cold Temperature Day 7
Room Temperature Day 7
Hot Temperature Day 7
Day 10
Cold Temperature Day 10
Room Temperature Day 10
Hot Temperature Day 10
Conclusion
Cited Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_candy
http://mayrasparties.blogspot.com/2010/04/how-to-make-rock-candy-info-barrel.html
http://informationaboutcandies2.weebly.com/1/post/2012/09/rock-candy.html
http://skilligimink.com/2011/03/09/rock-candy-crystals/
Information
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_candy
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Rock-Candy
http://www.superiornutstore.com/rock-candy-sticks.html