Making a crystal garden

Apparatus and chemicals

! Eye protection and disposable
gloves (preferably nitrile)
! 2 x Beaker (250 cm
3
)
! Watch glass
! Glass stirring rod
! Forceps
! A piece of card, to cover the beaker
! Sodium silicate solution (water
glass) (Corrosive) (see note 1)
Access to:
! Hot de-ionised water
! A few crystals of some metal
sulfates or nitrates (see note 2),
such as:
o Cobalt(II) nitrate
(Oxidising, Harmful)
o Nickel(II) nitrate
(Oxidising, Harmful,
Dangerous for the
environment)
o Iron(III) nitrate (Oxidising,
Irritant)
o Manganese(II) sulfate
(Harmful, Dangerous for
the environment)
o Magnesium nitrate
(Oxidising)

Procedure
HEALTH & SAFETY: Wear eye protection and disposable gloves throughout this
experiment. Remember to handle the crystals only with a pair of forceps. Do not use your
fingers.
a Pour 50 ml of sodium silicate solution (Corrosive) into the beaker.
b Add 200 ml of hot de-ionised water to this solution, stirring well with a glass rod
c Continue stirring until the sodium silicate and water are thoroughly mixed, and no separate
layers are visible.
d Allow the mixture to stand until the liquid is completely still.
e Use a pair of forceps to drop one or two crystals of each of the metal salts supplied into the
mixture. Try to ensure that the crystals do not fall close to each other.
f Cover the beaker with a piece of card and leave overnight.

For abler students it may be appropriate the explain that:
a the metal ions are mostly chosen from the d-block of the periodic table (these may be better
known to students as the transition metals), since it is these which are coloured.
b the reaction taking place is a precipitation of the metal ions with silicate ions. A simplified
equation for the reactions taking place: eg cobalt(II) ions from the metal salt and silicate ions
from the sodium silicate solution form insoluble cobalt(II) silicate
Co
2+
(aq) + SiO
3
2-
(aq) ! CoSiO
3
(s)
Obviously whereas the reaction occurring in the laboratory is taking place in solution, the
analogous process taking place in the Earths crust involves ions in a molten state at
extremely high temperatures linking together.

Teaching notes
This is not only a good end-of-term experiment to let students grow crystals, which they find
a fascinating process in itself, but is also a useful means of illustrating the appropriate
chemistry involved when teaching introductory Earth Science. The formation of molten
silicates in the Earths mantle involves the reaction of silicon dioxide with metal oxides at
extremely high temperatures. In this experiment coloured silicates are formed in the
laboratory.
Read our standard health & safety guidance
Lesson organisation
This is a very straightforward experiment and can be carried out easily by groups of two in 30
minutes. The crystals start to develop overnight, but the experiment can be left for several
days or for more than a week, with perhaps a competition being held to judge which is the
finest garden.
There is a great temptation for students to want to handle the crystals, especially when these
are not properly held by the forceps and drop before entering the beaker. Gloves can be
avoided if students are careful to use forceps.
The very best effects are observed when students use a relatively small number of crystals and
arrange these in a well separated manner at the bottom of the beaker.

Technical notes
Sodium silicate solution (Corrosive) Refer to CLEAPSS Hazcard 95B and Recipe card
66 Cobalt(II) nitrate (Oxidising, Harmful) Nickel(II) nitrate (Oxidising, Harmful,
Dangerous for the environment) Refer to CLEAPSS Hazcard 65B Iron(III) nitrate
(Oxidising, Irritant) Refer to CLEAPSS Hazcard 55C Manganese(II) sulfate (Harmful,
Dangerous for the environment) Refer to CLEAPSS Hazcard 60 Magnesium nitrate
(Oxidising) Refer to CLEAPSS Hazcard 59B
1 Sodium silicate is supplied in solution as an egg preservative. This type of solution is ideal
for these experiments, as it is very difficult to dissolve the solid.
2 The metal salts chosen are known to be reasonably soluble in water. If a particular metal
compound is unavailable, a nitrate is usually a safe choice as an alternative, or even the
chloride if a Data Book indicates that the solubility is as high as that of the nitrate or sulfate.

Health & Safety checked, April 2008
Updated 29 Oct 2008