CRYSTALS
By: Shauya
CRYSTALS
Shauya ISSUU Shanghai
Table of Contents What is a Crystal?____________________________________Page 1 How are Crystals, Crystals __________________________Page 2 Amethyst Crystal____________________________________Page 3 Fun Facts_____________________________________________Page 4 Glossary_______________________________________________Page 5 About the Author____________________________________Page 6 Cited Sources_________________________________________Page 7
What is a Crystal? Have you ever wondered how crystals make themselves? A crystal is any solid that forms regularly by a repeated pattern of molecules that connect together. It’s also a mineral with some sort of a geometric shape to it. Crystals grow normal geometric shapes as new atoms join the crystals lattice. The atoms combine themselves in orderly geometric shapes. Shapes that repeat themselves into the shape of a large crystals. The shapes aren’t so obvious in tiny crystals such as salt crystals and small rocks. Freely growing crystals in caves or other places are bigger, the shape is more obvious and precise. The atoms in the crystals have arranged themselves so perfectly that crystals break along lines called cleavage. There are 7 main types of crystals: isometric, hexagonal, monoclinic, orthorhombic, trigonal, tetragonal and triclinic. There are liquid crystals which are basically like gel that’s kind of liquid but kind of solid in a way. You may not know them but they are in things like calculators and CD players. Electrical currents can cause crystals to develop numbers and pictures.
How are Crystals, Crystals !!Do you ever wonder how a crystal’s color, shape and size is made? Well if you don’t I’m going to tell you. A crystals color is made from the elements inside of it. Crystals are shaped the way they are because of the way that the elements group themselves together. Most of the time a crystal forms when a liquid turns into a solid. An example of liquid turning into solid is water freezing and becoming ice. As the water freezes all the different molecules line up and form ice crystals. Crystals also form when liquid and matter dissolves and dries up. An example of this process would be when salt water dries up and becomes a salt crystal.
Amethyst Crystals ! !An amethyst quartz is the most important and popular crystal out of all
Quartz crystals. Most amethysts come from Brazil and Uruguay. Since ancient times the amethyst crystals have been used for lapidary works. An amethyst quartz is usually purple but it can vary from light lavender to a very deep reddish purple all the way to a milky color or green. The deeper color the amethyst is the higher the value of the precious gem. The ancient greeks believed that the amethyst crystals will make you immune to the effects of alcohol, in other words if you use it you won’t get drunk. Today man-made amethysts are very hard to tell apart from real amethysts. Quartz grow out of a spacious, mineral-rich, rock cavity. When solutions are completely saturated with mineral components, crystals can begin to form on rock walls, on other crystals, or even on particles of dust. They can grow quickly or slowly — or even stop — depending on changes in temperature and the concentration of the solution.
FUN FACTS Snowflakes are a collection of ice crystals.
We eat crystals: salt, baking soda, sugar. Salt, sugar, gold, silver, copper, and iron all have crystals in them. Gems such as diamonds and emeralds are also crystals. Most solids like rocks are made up of teeny tiny crystal. If you look at a rock very closely then you will see the crystals
Most things that can be seen but not living are made up of crystals.
October Birthstones are different from other birthstones. For female the stone is Pink Tourm and for male it is Opal
Birthstones
Glossary Cleavage
~
A split
Crystal Lattice ~ An ordered repeating pattern of molecules Matter ~ Anything that occupies space and has mass Solution ~ Combination of minerals Mineral-rich ~ Lots of minerals Saturated ~ Full Lapidary ~ The rock that people put on graves, that has their lifetime engraved on it. Immune ~ Resistant from something ( In this case alcohol )
About the Author ! ! Shauya has been writing Non-fiction since 2nd grade. Her very first published book was named “ Penguins �. She currently is living in Shanghai, China with her mom, dad and older brother. Shauya goes to Shanghai American School, Puxi. She is 10 years old and is in grade 5. She loves to sing , dance and play music.
CITED SOURCES
"Crystals." BrainPOP. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. "Britannica School." Britannica School. Britannica Digital Learning, n.d. Web. 07 Jan. 2014. "The Dynamic Earth @ National Museum of Natural History." The Dynamic Earth @ National Museum of Natural History. NationalMuseum of National History, n.d. Web. 09 Jan. 2014. "Amethyst." The Quartz Page:. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. "Rocks and Minerals Dictionary: A - EnchantedLearning.com." Rocks and Minerals Dictionary: A - EnchantedLearning.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2014. N.d. Photograph. Web. 17 Jan. 2014. N.d. Photograph. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. N.d. Photograph. Web. 21 Jan. 2014. N.d. Photograph. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. N.d. Photograph. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. N.d. Photograph. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.