Rock candy

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/rock-candy

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How tall is Rock candy?Typically requires 6-7 days for significant crystal growth
2. What is the chemical composition?Primarily sucrose (C12H22O11) crystals
3. What is the formation mechanism?Slow crystallization from a supersaturated aqueous solution onto a nucleation substrate
4. How do rock candies grow?When the hot sugar water cools, sugar molecules start to stick to a string or stick, forming a crystal lattice. The crystals grow slowly over six to seven days, making them large.
5. Why does it take so long to make rock candy?The slow cooling and low temperature let only a few crystals grow, so they become big instead of many small ones. This takes about six to seven days.

Supersaturation: A state where a solution contains more dissolved solute than it can normally hold at equilibrium.
Nucleation Site: A surface or particle that initiates the formation of a crystal or precipitate.
Solute: The substance that is dissolved in a solvent to form a solution (in this case, sugar).