Enjoy this fun fall-themed experiment! Use salt and leaves to learn about saturated solutions!
Materials:
Spoon, pot (to boil water in), cups, pencils (or sticks), string, leaves, scissors, a lot of salt.
*The number of cups/bowls and pencils/sticks may vary depending on the amount of leaves that are used. Pipe cleaners or paper can also be used as a substitute for leaves.
Time Estimated:
30 minutes
Directions:
Fill each cup and/or bowl with water and pour it into the pot.
Once all the water is in the pot, set it on the stove and bring it to a boil. *Adult Supervision Required* While you are waiting for the water to boil, start preparing your leaves.
Cut out small segments of string, about 8-12 inches each. Make sure to cut one segment per leaf.
Tie one end of each string to a stick and the other end to the stem of a leaf. Then, balance the stick on top of the cup and/or bowl so that the leaf hangs freely inside.
After your water reaches a boil, pour in half a cup of salt and stir until it dissolves.
Keep adding salt until you see a thin film layer form on the surface of the water. Turn your burner off.
Carefully pour the salt-water solution into each cup and/or bowl, making sure that each leaf is fully submerged in the liquid.
Set the cups and/or bowls to cool down. Try to move them as little as possible. The salt crystals should start to form overnight.
*The amount of time that the salt crystal will form may vary from 12-48 hours. This depends on the type of salt that was used.
How It Works:
By adding a TON of salt to the boiling water, a supersaturated solution was made. This means that the water molecules can no longer bond with the salt because there is too much salt in the solution! This is why a thin film can be found on the surface of the water and the salt no longer dissolves.
As the water evaporates in the jars, the salt molecules start to come together and crystallize. As more and more molecules attach, the crystals start to grow even bigger!
Looking for more fun at home STEM activities for your young scientist? Check out our workbook full of exciting science experiments and empowering activities!
