This week we're going to try a cool project for a hot summer day. This project is from the book More Mudpies to Magnets. Publishers Gryphon House, Inc. were nice enough to let me share their articles with you. Please visit their website. They have some great books for kids!

Crystal Pops

When water freezes you cannot always see the crystalline structure that forms as it solidifies. Add some other substances, and the observable characteristics change. When fruit juice is added to water and frozen, the structure of the ice changes and noticeable crystal structures are seen. It is the "impurities" that cause the change.

Remember it is always best to share your project with an adult.
Project Materials
paper cups
popsicle sticks
water
fruit juice
a freezer

1. Mix water with a can of fruit juice. Pour the mixture into small paper cups. Place the filled cups on a tray, then put them in the freezer. Also, freeze a cup of water.

2. Look at the mixture about every 45 minutes. Think about and describe what you see.

3. When the mixture starts to harden, remove the cups from the freezer and place a popsicle stick into each cup.

4. Put the cups back into the freezer. Continue to check on the progress and take a look at the crystals that are starting to form.

5. When the juice has frozen, remove the cups. Peel the paper cup away from the popsicle. Look at the frozen crystals. What designs do you see? How is the juice popsicle different from the frozen water? As you eat your popsicle think about how the water changed when the juice was added. What do you think will happen to your juice popsicle if you don't eat it?

More Things to Try

Try freezing other edible liquids. Compare the different crystal patterns. What is the same? What is different? What happens when popsicles or fruit thaw? Are they the same or have they changed?

Visit these cool sites:

Orange Chill - a recipe for a sweet, cool, delicious drink.

The Search for Ice & Snow - pretend that you are on the Earth task force for drought prevention. Your preliminary task is to do a global search for places on Earth that have ice or snow.

South Pole Virtual Tour - a very cold place to chill out.

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