Hooked on Science: Crystal Christmas ornaments

Using pipe cleaners and borax you can create Christmas ornaments that might get the entire family "Hooked on Science."

Materials

* Red and white pipe cleaners

* Thread

* Water

* Borax

* Ruler

* Container

Instructions

STEP 1: Twist red and white pipe cleaners together to form the shape of a candy cane.

STEP 2: Using the thread, tie each candy cane ornament to the ruler. Place the ruler on the top of the container, allowing the candy cane ornaments to float freely inside the container.

STEP 3: Remove the ruler with the ornaments attached and add several cups of boiling water into the container. Add about 1/4 cup of borax for every 2 cups of boiling water. Stir the mixture until most of the borax is dissolved.

STEP 4: Place the ruler back on top of the container, allowing the ornaments to float in the borax solution. Leave the ornaments in the borax solution overnight.

Explanation

Borax is a crystal. When water is heated, the molecules move farther apart. This makes a lot of room for borax crystals to form. As the water evaporates, the crystals deposit on the pipe cleaners, creating a scientific Christmas ornament.

Jason Lindsey is a Science Outreach Educator with Hooked on Science. Check out his website "Hooked On Science" at hookedonscience.org for webcasts and experiments that might get you hooked on science. Send him your science questions at jlindsey@hookedonscience.org. More science experiments can be found at www.semissourian.com.