Download NaCL (halite) – cubic (isometric) crystal system

CRYSTALLIZATION
(KMnO4.mov; CuSO4.mov; NaCl.mov; AlK(SO4)2.mov)
Provided by: Paul Heller, University of Wyoming
These movies, not much related to sedimentary geology, but useful just the same to show
crystallization of salts into different crystal systems. The method used was that described
by Christman (1981). Each video is sped up to fill about 20 seconds of play time.
NaCL (halite) 20
seconds (1.9 MB) –
cubic (isometric)
crystal system. The
red circle outlines one
crystal that is
worthwhile watching
grow.
Copper Sulfate
(CuSO4) 19 seconds
(1.9 MB) –
orthorhombic crystal
system. A glitch
caused us to lose a
minute or so in the
middle of the movie.
As a result, there is an
abrupt jump in time.
Sorry about that.
Aluminum
Potassium Sulfate
(KAl(SO4)2 •
12H2O) 20 seconds
(1.9 MB) Monoclinic or
hexagonal crystal
system. Crystals
nucleate at different
sites so they grow
together over time.
Potassium
Permanganate
(KMnO4) 20 seconds
(2.0 MB) Orthorhombic crystal
system. The KMnO4
in the last stages of
crystallization, it was
energetically more
efficient to crystallize
on the existing
crystals rather than
nucleate new crystals.
This provides a
dramatic ending.
Reference:
Christman, Robert, A., 1981, Growing crystals on the ceiling: Journal of Geological
Education. 28; 4, Pages 199-201. 1980. .