Recrystallization And A Question

Jan 16, 2018 • 10:16 AM UTC

Unknown Location

140x Magnification

Microorganisms

Mitali

Learn about the author...

30posts

93comments

4locations

Hello Everyone,
This time I’ve tried making a time lapse of NaCl getting recrystallized. I have used dark field here to make the crystals look more prominent.
Here are the steps I followed:
1. Prepare a saturated solution of NaCl I.e adding NaCl to water till it stops dissolving.
2. Put a drop of this solution on the slide and add a coverslip on top.
Now instead of observing it directly let it stand for a while till a few nuclei are formed.
Once you have a few observable points of crystallization, focus on the edge of the crystal and set up a time lapse 🙂
This can be an easy way to demonstrate school students how solar salt is formed. A very simple experiment as such but foldscoping it could intrigue the kids and make them get a feel for how beautiful such a simple phenomenons can be 🙂
Here’s the video!

Next I’m going to do a time lapse of NaCl getting crystallized on the surface of a semi solid medium.I’ve noticed that saturated salt media having agar tends to form pyramidal crystals of NaCl over it. I wonder why it forms that particular shape? Would you help me find an answer?
~Have Fun Foldscoping ^_^
Mitali Patil
Second Year Undergrad
Ramnarain Ruia Autonomous College, Mumbai.