Growing a crystal alum

Objectives

1. Make a crystal alum.

2. Observe what factors will affect the growth of a crystal alum.
3. Discover how to better grow an alum crystal.

Materials and equipment needed

To make a crystal alum the following materials and equipment have to be prepared.

Materials Equipment
1. A ¼ pure alum 1. Petri Dish
(pulverized) 2. 1 tablespoon
2. 50 °C of 200 mL water 3. Measuring cup for liquid or
3. 1 sachet of food color graduated cylinder
(Blue) 4. 2 Beaker or a alternative one
4. # string 5. Stirring rod
5. 2 Disposable cup 6. Funnel
Procedure

Seed Crystal

First, 200 mL of water was measured to attain the solubility of the solution which
is 25g by a measuring cup for liquid, before it was heated for approximately 60°C
and then contained in a jug. The reason for doing this is to make the particles of
the solvent active and have more energy to dissolve.

Figure. 1 The preparation

After doing so, the measured solvent was added with the alum, before the food
color and then stirred by the used of a teaspoon, for the reason of determining
whether the solute was dissolved or not in the solution.

Figure. 2 The making

 Lastly, the solution was placed in a dry and room temperature place which is
covered by a plastic for it to have a slow cooling down process.

Actual Crystal

First, the seed crystal was formed in the solution by the slow cooling down process,
and was removed and wiped with a clean and dry tissue for it to not moist via bare
hands.

Figure 3. The caring

Second, the seed crystal had been cleaned, before the filter paper and funnel was
prepared in a clean and dry place to remove the excess supersaturated solution in
the container.

Figure 4. The Filtering

 Third, the solution was heated again by means of just putting it on hot water
approximately heated up to 70°C. Fourth, before the seed crystal had been placed
in the solution, the temperature was cooled for approximately 35° C and this
signifies that the solution was removed from the conduction area and was slip
knotted by the used of a fishing string, furthermore was hanged on the mouth of
the containment area which had the solution before it was placed.

Figure 5. End of the progress

How to better grow a crystal alum - objective 2

Like, in a volcano a crystal was formed by one factor which is crystallization and
by the time it was formed it had obtained a ordered internal structure and lustrous
sides, when it is like that, one factor was achieved by the crystal, and that was
slow cooling down process but how it was done via Alum crystallization?. First, the
solution of the experiment was been reheated for approximately 40 °C by the used
of hot water for the reason of dissolving the pack of crystals that was submerged
by the solution at the bottom of the containment area, and at this temperature rate,
a slow cooling down process was predicted to occur in the solution. Second, the
alum powder was been gradually added by the used of a table spoon and was
stirred till it have only a fragments of solutes on the bottom. Third, 2 sachet of food
color which is immoderate, was added and stirred by the use of a teaspoon.
Fourth, the crystal was placed in the solution via submersion and was covered by
a plastic before a day.

The growing process day by day

Day 1 Day 2

Day 3 Day 4
Day 5