Activity: Crystals in Space

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Objectives

• Students will investigate why researchers grow protein crystals on an International Space Station.
• Students will grow crystals.
• Students will think about how the microgravity environment may change how they do the experiment.

Materials

• 250 milliliters of warm water
• Spoon
• Salt
• Pencil
• Two drinking glasses
• 15 centimeter piece of string

Procedure

• Pour the 250 milliliters of warm water into a glass
• Pour salt into water, stirring until the salt dissolves. Continue adding salt until no more will dissolve. (Some undissolved salt will re-main at the bottom of the glass)
• Pour the clear salt water into another glass. (Leave the undissolved salt in the first glass)
• Tie the string around the pencil
• Lay the pencil across the top of the glass, allowing the string to hang down into the water
• Place the glass in a protected place
• Check the glass weekly
• Once crystals form, check daily

Questions

• How long does it take for the first crystals to form?
• What do you observe on your daily observations?