|
Crystal Clear
A snowflake is made of many crystals. Rocks are made of crystals, too. Even sugar and salt are crystals. Crystals that make different materials have different shapes. So, a salt crystal is different from a sugar crystal. Try this to find out a few different shapes that crystals can take.
What You Need
• Toothpicks
• Mini-marshmallows
What to Do
1. Choose one of the crystal shapes above to make.
2. Count out the number of toothpicks and marshmallows you will need for your crystal.
3. Make your crystal by carefully joining toothpicks with marshmallows.
4. Make two or three of the same crystal shape.
5. Try to fit your crystals together so there is very little space between the crystals.
6. Make a different shaped crystal.
7. Try to fit two different shaped crystals together. Which was easier to fit together, two similar shaped crystals or two different crystals?
8. Make other crystal shapes.
How it Works
The crystals that make up substances, such as salt or ice, have similar shapes. This helps them fit together and form a solid shape. This is like when you stack wooden building blocks. The blocks are easy to fit together and build with because they have the same shape.
|
|
