How can I make a supersaturated solution crystallize?

1 Answer
Jul 4, 2018

Add a seed crystal...(which does not have to be the same crystal as you try to precipitate..)

Explanation:

Or simply scratch the sides of the flask, The added crystal, or the scratch, serves as a so-called #"site of nucleation"#. A crystalline mass deposits. Note that the #"supersaturation"# defines a metastable, non-equilibrium condition. And the crystals that result from precipitation of a supersaturated solution are usually not first-class...