Crystallizing Minerals from Aqueous Solutions

Dexter Perkins

University of North Dakota

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Initial Publication Date: August 7, 2006 | Reviewed: December 15, 2014 (see revision history: 2 events)

Summary

Students dissolve selected salts and other compounds in water, let the water evaporate, and examine the crystals that grow.

Crystallography, Crystal Chemistry, Mineralogy | College Lower (13-14), College Upper (15-16)

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Context

Audience

This exercise is designed for a mid/upper-level undergraduate geology course on the principles of mineralogy.

Skills and concepts that students must have mastered

Students should have knowledge of basic chemistry and of minerals equivalent to what they would learn in an introductory geology class.

How the activity is situated in the course

This activity is the 7th of 36 mineralogy exercises and is used towards the beginning of the course.

Goals

Content/concepts goals for this activity

Learn about ways minerals crystallize from aqueous solutions.

Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity

Learn to think about crystal shapes and classify them in a logical way.

Other skills goals for this activity

Continue to improve experimental technique.

Description of the activity/assignment

Students dissolve selected salts and other compounds in water, let the water evaporate for about three weeks, and examine the crystals that grow. Students then draw crystal shapes and discuss the experiment. Discussion can include why and how crystals grow from solutions, why some minerals dissolve well and others do not, concepts of symmetry, and crystal systems and point groups.