How Do You Make Rock Salt Crystals?
Making crystals from rock salt, also called halite or table salt, is a simple and fun experiment that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. The process rests on the concepts of evaporation and crystallization. The liquid salt mixture that you will be preparing evaporates at a rate that exceeds the time it takes for the concurrent process of crystallization. The liquid evaporates and leaves the crystals, which appear as a dirty white color. The crystallization of rock salt is evident within six hours and peaks at three days. Place porous rock onto the center of the plate or shallow bowl where you will be growing your rock crystals. Add a few drops of your favorite color of food coloring, or a combination of colors, to the bottom of the bowl and onto the porous growing medium if you wish to enhance the aesthetic value of your salt crystals. The color will leach into the crystals. Coat the sides of the bowl or plate with petroleum jelly. This will cause the crystals to grow vertically ins
