Grow Sugar Crystals for Rock Candy

This is absolutely sweet science! Grow sugar crystals and make homemade rock candy with this simple chemistry experiment. Are your kids always in the kitchen looking for a snack? How about next time they are looking for a sweet treat, you add some fun learning to their snack request! Growing sugar crystals is a fun and easy science experiment for kids..

GROW SUGAR CRYSTALS FOR EDIBLE SCIENCE!

INCREDIBLE EDIBLE SCIENCE

The SWEET science is also incredible edible science. Who doesn’t love science you can eat? Grow sugar crystals for tasty chemistry and the kids will have a blast learning all about crystals!

Crystal science has fascinated humans for thousands of years. Many of our precious gemstones are formations of crystal. 

Check out other crystal science projects like our salt crystals and borax crystals.

This sugar crystal science experiment is made using the same principles of saturation and making a saturated solution in which the crystals will form. This experiment is a fun way to teach kids about solutions, molecular bonds, patterns, and energy. All from 2 ingredients, sugar and water!

The fact that you can eat these crystals when you are done growing them makes it even more fun!

WHAT IS CHEMISTRY?

Chemistry is all about the way different materials are put together, and how they are made up including atoms and molecules. It’s also how these materials act under different conditions. Chemistry is often a base for physics so you will see overlap!

What might you experiment with in chemistry? Classically we think of a mad scientist and lots of bubbling beakers, and yes there is a reaction between bases and acids to enjoy! Also, chemistry involves matter, changes, solutions, and the list goes on and on.

We will be exploring simple chemistry you can do at home or in the classroom that isn’t too crazy, but is still lots of fun for kids! You can check out some more chemistry activities here.

HOW DO YOU MAKE SUGAR CRYSTALS

Sugar crystals are formed as a result of a supersaturated solution.  A supersaturated solution contains more sugar than could be dissolved in water under normal conditions.

In a saturated solution, the sugar molecules have a higher chance of bumping into one another because there is less space to move around. When this happens, the sugar molecules start sticking together.

When you give the sugar molecules something to cling too (in this case the string), they form into crystals faster. The more molecules bump into each other, the bigger the sugar crystals get. The bigger the crystals are, the more they pull other sugar molecules toward them, making even bigger crystals.

Molecules bind together following orderly and repetitive patterns, so eventually, you’re left with visible sugar crystal patterns in your jar.  Read on to find out how to grow sugar crystals.

GROWING SUGAR CRYSTALS

Why do we call chemistry experiments like this kitchen science? Because all of the supplies needed come straight out of the kitchen. Of course, the kitchen is also the perfect place to set up this rock candy sugar crystal project!

YOU WILL NEED:

• 1 cup water
• 4 cups sugar
• Mason jars
• String
• Edible glitter
• Food coloring
• Straws

HOW TO MAKE SUGAR CRYSTALS

STEP 1. The day before starting your sugar crystal experiment, cut a piece of string a little longer than your jars. Tie one end of the string to a straw. Tie a knot in the other end.

Get the strings wet and coat them in sugar. Let them dry overnight.

STEP 2.  The following day add four cups of sugar and one cup of water to a saucepan and heat until boiling.  This will form your supersaturated solution.

Stir until the sugar is dissolved but be careful not to heat the sugar so much that it starts to turn into candy. Keep the temperature right at 210 degrees.

Remove the sugar from the heat.

STEP 3. Pour your sugar mixture into the jars.  Add edible food coloring to each jar and add some edible glitter.

STEP 4. Lower the string into the jar and place the jars in a safe place.

Let the sugar crystals form for at least a week.

SUGAR CRYSTALS: DAY 8

Once the sugar crystals are as big as you want them, remove them from the sugar solution. Lay them on a paper towel or plate and let them dry for several hours.

When the sugar crystals are dry, inspect them with a magnifying glass or microscope. How are the crystals similar? How are they different? What can you see in the microscope and magnifying glass that you can’t see with your eyes?

Awesome, edible science is at your fingertips when you spend some time exploring science in the kitchen with your kids!

Looking for easy to print activities, and inexpensive science experiments? 

We have you covered…

—>>> FREE SCIENCE WORKSHEETS

MORE FUN EDIBLE EXPERIMENTS

• Strawberry DNA Extraction
• Cabbage pH Experiment
• Make Edible Geodes
• Fizzing Lemonade
• Maple Syrup Snow Candy
• Homemade Butter
• Ice Cream In A Bag

GROW SUGAR CRYSTALS FOR SWEET EDIBLE SCIENCE!

Discover more fun and easy science & STEM activities right here. Click on the link or on the image below.