Why does hot water and borax make crystal?

Answer 1

Borax is a material that grows into a crystal naturally. Just like snowflakes are crystals that form when warmer water in the clouds cools enough a borax solution will cool into crystals. The reason we use hot water to make borax crystals is because borax will disolve into water. Hot water can hold more borax than cold water can. So when the borax is stirred into the hot water until no more will fit, it is called supersaturated. As it cools, it cannot hold as much borax in each water molecule, so it realeases some of the borax into it's natural repeating mineral shape. It's just like a sugar crystal or a salt crystal. They will do the same thing as the borax when disolved in hot water, only they take a lot longer to crystalize. Try using 2 cups sugar and 1 cup boiling water. you can add a little food coloring and some flavoring oil. Be careful not to add too much. a drop or two of flavoring oil will be fine. Don't stand too close as fumes make come out of the mixture when adding the flavor. Put a bamboo skewer or a string, that has been stickified with some Corn Syrup and then rolled in regular granulated sugar and dried overnight, into a jar filled with the sugar dilute. you can put a paper towel or cheese cloth over it to keep the dust out. Leave it alone for a couple of months. You'll have a pretty cool treat that you can eat.