Getting the best out of a waste product

Apr 18, 2018 • 9:30 AM UTC

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Ronak Hati

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About some weeks ago while again trying to observe combustion, the plastic that held the lens got molten and the lens popped out. I am quite grateful that Laks sir sent me another foldscope and also that he sent me polarizing filters.
To obtain better images I stuck a small piece of filter on my phone camera, removed the back cover and stuck it right inside my phone. The second piece went behind the magnetic coupler on the light module. This enables me to change angle between filters while imaging any crystal.
I tried some observations with the very chemical we throw out of our body as a waste product, urea.
I tried recrystallizing those. Here are some images :

Tried observing recrystallization, but the sample froze too quickly.

Another attempt, melted and observed the same sample again. It froze quickly again.

These here were some needle-like crystals that got formed this time along with the usual rectangular shapes.

Another attempt, and guess what happened… But this time have a look at the colours…

And then this too…

One question comes to my mind, why did I get more and more colors as I recrystallized the same urea again and again? Don’t know how significant of a question that is but hope to get some answers to it…