======Rock Candy======


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**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
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**Alternative titles:** Homemade Sugar Crystal Sticks
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Shape or cut wooden skewers so they fit your jars without touching the bottom; clip a clothespin to each skewer so it can hang centered.
  - Wet each skewer and roll it in granulated sugar to make a seed layer; set aside to dry completely.
  - Heat water in a saucepan and stir in sugar until it dissolves; continue adding sugar a little at a time until no more dissolves and the liquid looks slightly cloudy (about a 3:1 sugar to water ratio by volume).
  - Optional: Add a few drops of food coloring and a small amount of candy flavoring; bring just to a gentle simmer, then remove from heat.
  - Let the syrup cool until it is hot but not boiling to reduce thermal shock to glass.
  - Pour the hot syrup into clean, heat-safe jars, one color per jar if making multiple colors.
  - Lower a fully dried, sugar-coated skewer into each jar and use the clothespin to keep it suspended in the center without touching sides or bottom.
  - Place jars where they can sit undisturbed; loosely cover tops with paper to keep out dust.
  - Observe crystal growth daily; if a surface crust forms, gently break it with a clean utensil so crystals can continue to grow on the stick.
  - After 5–7 days, lift sticks out, let excess syrup drip off, and place them on a clean surface to dry before eating.



====Links==== 
Rock Candy Experiment - Emily's Science Lab: 
{{youtube>uPRHoIHp0mY?}}\\


Watchable by stmartins.sa.edu.au.
Make Your Own Rock Candy! | The Science of Cooking! - SciShow Kids: 
{{youtube>jyYrHQvvqy8?}}\\

📄 Rock Candy Experiment - Play Learn Grow: [[https://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2015/02/rock-candy-experiment.html]]\\


====Variations====
  * Compare different starting sugar concentrations (2:1 vs 3:1) and record how growth rate and crystal size change.
  * Test food coloring in the solution versus painting finished crystals lightly with gel color.
  * Try cotton string tied to a pencil instead of a skewer and compare crystal coverage.
  * Grow larger crystals by transferring sticks to a fresh hot supersaturated solution after several days.

====Safety Precautions====
  * Hot syrup can cause burns; adults should handle heating and pouring, and use heat-safe jars on a stable surface.
  * Keep jars out of reach while hot; allow to cool before children observe closely.
  * Use only food-safe containers, utensils, colorings, and flavorings if the candy will be eaten.
  * Do not handle sticks with bare hands after dipping if you intend to eat them; use clean tools and good hygiene.
  * Cover jars to prevent contamination by dust or insects; discard any batch that shows mold or off smells.




====Questions to Consider====
  * Why do crystals grow as the solution cools and sits? (The hot solution holds more dissolved sugar; as it cools and evaporates, it becomes supersaturated and sugar deposits as crystals.)
  * Why coat the stick with sugar first? (The rough sugar layer provides nucleation sites so crystals start on the stick instead of the jar walls.)
  * What controls crystal size? (Higher supersaturation and faster cooling favor many small crystals; slower cooling and stable conditions favor fewer, larger crystals.)
  * What happens if the stick touches the jar wall or bottom? (Crystals can bridge to the glass, fusing the stick in place and reducing even growth.)
  * Why is the 3:1 ratio recommended? (It reliably achieves supersaturation at kitchen temperatures, promoting steady crystal growth without needing extreme evaporation.)