Rock Candy

rock candy

Materials:

  • Wooden skewer

  • A clothespin

  • 1 cup of water

  • 2-3 cups of sugar

  • glass or jar

Experiment:

  1. Boil 1 cup of water. Once it boils, add 1/4th cup of sugar to the water until it is fully dissolved. Continue this step until no more sugar will dissolve (it's very important that you let the sugar dissolve each time and that you add enough. Yes, it takes a while but it's worth it!)

  2. Let the mixture cool for at least 20 minutes.

  3. Optional step: to make the process go quicker you can dunk half of your skewer in the mixture and roll it around in some sugar

  4. Once cool, add the sugar and water mixture to the jar or glass, and put your skewer in the middle, securing it with a clothespin. (make sure the skewer doesn't touch the bottom of sides)

  5. Lastly, wait for a few days and watch the crystals grow, and enjoy eating them.

https://sciencebob.com/make-your-own-rock-candy/

Science behind rock candy

Rock candy is made from chemistry! When we mix the sugar in the hot water, we make a super saturated solution, which when no more solute (sugar) cannot be dissolved in the solvent (water). When the water starts to cool and we place the skewer in it, the sugar starts to come out because it cannot stay in its liquid form anymore. As the sugar sticks to the skewer, it slowly crystallizes. This process is known as precipitation.