Learning About Crystals

Frank's pipe cleaner

Emily's pipe cleaner

Today in school we started learning about Crystals. But first we have to learn about Atoms and Molecules. We took a journey through an atomic sized world to imagine what atoms would look like if we could see them.

Atoms are so small that you can't cut them or divide them. In fact the word Atom comes from a Greek word that means exactly that.

Molecules are a bunch of atoms grouped together.

Then we had to learn about three forms of matter, Gases, Liquids, and Solids.

Gases are atoms that are moving incredibly fast.

Liquids are atoms that move slower than gases but are moving all the time.

Solids are atoms that like to stay in one position but they still move, sort of like vibrate.

After that we mixed up water and sugar to see what would happen. What happened was when the sugar (a solid) and water (a liquid) got together the sugar dissolved into the water.

We also learned that sugar dissolves quicker in hot water than cold water because the atoms move faster in hot water and slow down in cold water.

After all of that we started a project to make our own Crystals. We made a heart and a letter F out of pipe cleaners. Then we tied them around a pencil with string and put them in a hot jar of water with some solution that came in our Crystal making kit. Then we covered it with toilet paper because we didn't have any paper towels. Now we just wait until tomorrow to see what will happen.

Our Grandpa Bill called while we were in the middle of this and he asked what we were doing and I (Emily) said we were making Crystals and he said, "You're making little Mommies?" Hahahahahaha! Because our Mom's name is Crystal!

It was fun fun fun funny fun fun!!!

Last week we learned about electricity and we might post about that later.

Love,
Emily and Frank (and Mommy too!)