Hobbies And Interests
Materials
For this experiment, you will need 1 1/2 cups water, 3/4 cup white sugar, a long piece of string, a pencil, a glass jar, a pot and a burner. On each string, you can grow one set of sugar crystals, so if you would like to make more, you can add more strings and more pencils. For a large group of children, you should also add more jars so that you can hang about four strings into each jar. You will need 3/4 cup sugar and 1 1/2 cups water per jar. If you would like multicolored sugar crystals, you need food coloring as well.
Process
To begin the process of growing sugar crystals, heat the water to boiling in a pot over the burner. While this is heating up, tie a 10-inch piece of string to the middle of a pencil. When the water has reached the boiling point, shut off the flame, add the sugar and stir well. If you would like to add colors, do so at this point by adding a few drops of food coloring and mixing. Pour this mixture into a jar. Place the pencil over the mouth of the jar so that the string is submerged in the mixture.
Waiting Period
The string must now sit in the sugar mixture for a number of days. Children can observe the difference in the sugar over a period of days by peering into the glass jar and seeing how it forms around the string. After a few days, lift the string out of the mixture to see the hardened sugar crystals that have formed on the string.
Safety
The first step in the process, boiling the water, should be done by an adult only. Additionally, pouring the mixture into the jar should be carefully performed by an adult. Children can help by mixing the sugar into the water once the flame is off or choosing the color to dye their mixture. They can also carefully lower the string into the jar as long as an adult holds the jar as it will be hot.