Borax Crystal Hearts for Valentine’s Day

Make some gorgeous borax crystal hearts for a Valentine’s Day craft! Crystal formation with water and borax is a fascinating process that involves a combination of chemistry and physics. Here’s a step-by-step explanation:

Step 1: Dissolving Borax in Water- When you mix borax (sodium tetraborate) with water, the borax dissolves into its constituent ions: sodium, borate, and hydroxide ions. This creates a supersaturated solution, meaning that the solution contains more dissolved borax than it can hold at equilibrium.

Step 2: Cooling and Nucleation- As the solution cools, the ions start to come together to form a crystal lattice structure. This process is facilitated by the presence of a nucleation site, such as a string, stick, or even a tiny imperfection on the container wall. The nucleation site provides a location for the ions to begin forming a crystal.

Step 3: Crystal Growth- As the solution continues to cool, more and more ions are deposited onto the growing crystal, allowing it to increase in size. The crystal grows as the ions arrange themselves into a repeating pattern, forming a crystalline lattice structure.

Step 4: Crystal Formation- Over time, the crystal continues to grow and eventually becomes visible to the naked eye. The resulting crystal can take on a variety of shapes and forms, depending on factors such as the cooling rate, the presence of impurities, and the shape of the nucleation site. The entire process can take anywhere from a few hours to several days, depending on the conditions. With patience and the right conditions, you create stunning crystals using water and borax!

Watch me make them…