The Classification and Formation of Crystals

Introduction Purpose         My purpose of this experiment is to find out how crystals are formed and how they are classified. For a long time, I've been interested in crystals, so I've decided this experiment would be perfect for me! Crystallography         The study of the growth, shape, and geometric characteristics of crystals is called crystallography. When the conditions are right, each chemical element and compound can crystallize in a definite and characteristic form.                  Thirty-two classes of …

…grew my crystals from seed crystals). If a solution like this is cooled slowly, a few seeds grow into large ones; but if it is cooled rapidly, numerous seeds form and grow only into tiny crystals. Table salt, purified at a factory by recrystallization, is composed of lots of cubed crystals, which are barely visible with the naked eye; rock salt, formed in a really long time, contains enormous crystals of the same cubed form.