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How to Make Rocks With Salt & Boiled Water

Sodium chloride is the common salt found in seawater and table salt shakers. In their most familiar form, salt crystals are tiny and difficult to examine without a microscope. Rock and mineral enthusiasts can combine salt with boiling water to grow larger, more elaborate crystal formations.You can also grow salt crystals and compare them with sugar crystals and other homemade crystals for a school science experiment.

Things You'll Need

Heavy duty string
Food coloring (optional)
Wide-mouthed clear glass or plastic jar
Tray
Newspapers

Instructions

- 1
  Cut the string into seven 5-inch long sections. Bundle the seven pieces of string together and tie them together in a knot at one end.
- 2
  Boil 1 cup of water and pour in 1/4 cup of salt. Stir until dissolved. Add a few drops of food coloring if desired to make colored crystals.
- 3
  Pour the salt solution into the jar.
- 4
  Place the bundle of strings knot-side-down in the solution. Hang the ends of the strings over the side of the jar at equal intervals.
- 5
  Line a tray with newspapers and place it in a low-traffic area out of direct sunlight. Place the jar with the salt solution onto the tray.
- 6
  Check on the jar daily to watch the salt crystals form on the string and eventually over the edge of the jar.

Rocks & Minerals