[guide.chat] rock candy recipe

  • From: vanessa <qwerty1234567a@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "GUIDE CHAT" <guide.chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2012 11:28:10 +0100


When you make rock candy, you can see the shape of sugar crystals on a giant 
scale. The key is giving them lots of time (about 7 days) to grow. As the water 
evaporates, sugar crystals form on the string or stick, and the shapes that 
they form reflect the shape of individual sugar crystals.

Notice that the shapes of the rock candy crystals are very similar to those of 
the sugar crystals. That?s because rock candy is made up of many sugar crystals 
that have grown together. 

CAUTION
When making candy, the syrup gets very hot. Kids, don?t try this without the 
help of an adult!

What Do I Need? .
? 4 cups sugar  
? 2 cups water

? a small saucepan
? a wooden spoon
? a candy thermometer
? a small, clean glass jar
? a measuring cup
? cotton string
? a weight to hang on the string (such as a screw or galvanized washer)
? waxed paper   
? a pencil (to suspend the string in the jar)
 
What Do I Do?   
Did You Know?
Rock candy is one of the oldest and purest forms of candy. It was originally 
used by pharmacists to make medicines for many kinds of illnesses.

1. Heat the water in the saucepan over medium-high heat until it comes to a 
boil.

 
2. Completely dissolve the sugar in the boiling water, stirring continuously 
with the wooden spoon until the solution grows clear and it reaches a rolling 
boil.

 
3. Remove the solution from the heat, and then carefully pour it into the jar. 
Cover the jar with a small piece of waxed paper.

         
4. Tie the weight to one end of the string, and then tie the other end to the 
middle of the pencil. The string should be about two-thirds as long as the jar 
is deep. Dip the string into the sugar solution, remove it, lay it on a piece 
of waxed paper, straighten it out, and let it dry for a few days.

? Why does the string need to be soaked and then dried?

5. Gently suspend the prepared string in the solution and let sit at room 
temperature, undisturbed, for several days. You can check each day to see how 
much your crystals have grown. It?s tempting, but don?t touch the jar until the 
experiment is finished?it usually takes about seven days.

? What makes the crystals grow?

6. At the end of the week, the crystals on your string should be clearly 
defined, with sharp right angles and smooth faces of various sizes. In the 
field of crystallography, these are called monoclinic crystals. Their shape is 
determined by the way the individual sugar molecules fit together, which is 
similar to the way the shape of a pile of oranges is determined by the shape of 
the individual oranges and the way they stack together.

What Else Can I Try?    .
? Try adding food coloring or flavoring to your sugar syrup before making the 
rock candy.


from
Vanessa The Google Girl.
my skype name is rainbowstar123

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