Surprising predictions part 4

 When Scientists Say Crystal, They Mean a material whose atoms or molecules are arranged in a 3-D pattern

Scientists use many terms to describe the arrangements of atoms and molecules, including amorphous, fibrous, flaky, plate-like, and crystalline. Not sure what they all mean? No problem! Here’s a guide to help you understand what it means when scientists say crystal.

What makes something crystal?

A crystal is made when the atoms or molecules that make up a material are arranged in a three-dimensional (3-D) pattern. This pattern can be regular or irregular, but it must be repeating. When the arrangement of the atoms or molecules is symmetrical, we say that the crystal is ordered. If there is no symmetry, we say that the crystal is disordered. Crystals have some other interesting properties too: they transmit light and often have an easily identifiable shape, such as cube or octahedron. They also grow over time with just one orientation, so if you look at a crystal from different angles, you will see different shapes and orientations. Crystals also exist for all elements and compounds, not just the ones that you find on Earth! The element uranium has two types of crystals—uranium dioxide and uranium trioxide. These two types form differently because their chemical structures are slightly different. Uranium dioxide is hard, like granite, whereas uranium trioxide has a softer texture similar to aluminum oxide. The type of crystalline structure that your material has depends on its chemical composition; each compound forms crystals according to its own set of rules. For example, sodium chloride is composed of positively charged sodium ions and negatively charged chlorine ions. When these ions come together in a salt crystal, the result is a perfect six-sided cube! In contrast, calcium carbonate contains both positively charged calcium ions and negatively charged carbonate ions. Their interactions result in crystals that grow into groups rather than cubes, which are characteristic of sodium chloride. Sometimes crystals form that do not obey the rules. Such exceptions occur when molecules don't pack tightly enough or are unable to rearrange themselves properly due to external forces. As a result, these crystals may exhibit strange shapes, such as hexagonal prisms instead of cubes. Although this doesn't happen very often, it does show how important it is for materials to follow specific physical laws! Crystals usually need very specific conditions to form. Usually, a liquid needs to cool down from higher temperatures until it reaches the solid state. Then, after enough time passes for crystal growth, the substance will begin forming crystals at a slow rate. Sometimes temperature changes or pressure changes will affect what kind of crystals develop depending on how they change the internal molecular movement. One way that temperature affects crystals is through something called nucleation--the process by which an individual molecule becomes part of the new crystal growth (nucleus). Nucleation happens more readily in liquids when temperatures are lower and energy levels are high--which means heat energy being released increases more rapidly than kinetic energy--so water and ice nucleate faster than gases! Another thing that influences the speed of crystal formation is surface area. Materials with a greater surface area tend to freeze faster, and those that have less surface area freeze slower. To help things along, scientists sometimes turn to techniques like adding a seed crystal or placing metal objects in the solution, both of which increase the surface area available for crystal growth. This might sound a little counterintuitive at first since crystals are rigid, but it actually helps them grow faster by reducing the number of collisions between molecules and increasing the chance that they bump into each other in a good configuration. You can tell when a crystal is forming, because the material will start to become cloudy and it will change color. That's because of the different wavelengths of light that get scattered as they travel through the crystal--colors are simply waves of visible electromagnetic radiation! What are some other examples of crystals? There are many! Some of the most well-known crystals include diamonds, table salt, quartz, sugar (sucrose), calcite, and even ice. What do we call a material that has atoms or molecules arranged in a 3-D pattern but is not in an orderly manner? This would be considered disorderly and it is often termed amorphous.

What does crystal mean to you?

To me, the word crystal brings to mind images of sparkling gemstones and delicate snowflakes. But the word actually has a much more scientific meaning. A crystal is a material whose atoms or molecules are arranged in a three-dimensional (3-D) pattern. This regular arrangement gives crystals their characteristic shapes and properties. The geometry of these structures can be either symmetrical or asymmetrical. For example, salt's molecules have a cubic lattice structure that makes it one of the most famous crystals in existence. Meanwhile, diamond's structure is octahedral, giving it its hardness and strength despite being made up mostly of carbon. The type of crystal depends on what elements are present and how they interact with each other. 

The most common element for making crystalline materials is silicon dioxide: that's right—glass! Glass is made from sand, which consists primarily of silica (silicon dioxide). In this way, glass crystals are structurally identical to the quartz crystals we wear as jewelry. These mineral glass gems range from cloudy white to milky blue or even deep black varieties like obsidian and jet. Quartz is also found naturally as rock crystal--this means clear quartz without any impurities--as well as amethyst, rose quartz, citrine, smoky quartz and many others. We've come a long way since ancient times when all sorts of substances were thought to possess supernatural powers! Yet crystals continue to intrigue us today. Even though our interest might stem mainly from their aesthetic qualities, there are some people who believe that these beautiful stones hold healing properties. Crystals emit energies that help heal body and soul alike by rebalancing energy fields. It's important to remember, however, that although science cannot say whether or not there is anything inherent in the crystal itself which offers healing benefits; scientists do know quite a bit about how crystals work within our bodies through light therapy. Within the human body, biological matter interacts with electromagnetic radiation from an external source, such as sunlight. When infrared radiation (IR) enters the human body through its surface layer known as the skin, it becomes IR radiation (IR). As IR moves deeper into the body where temperatures are higher than at the surface layer, IR converts into heat. After reaching tissue temperature levels of 98°F/37°C), IR turns back into infrared radiation again. It is believed that converting back and forth between different forms of electromagnetic waves causes IR waves to exert energy onto cells and cause biochemical reactions that can benefit health conditions such as low moods or chronic pain. Scientists are still researching the topic, but the practice of using crystals in healing has been around for centuries. One example is in Indian Ayurvedic medicine, where it is believed that quartz and emerald can stimulate and regulate the chakra system. Interestingly, these two crystals are said to create healing energy in response to changes in the body's magnetic field. Whether or not crystals really provide therapeutic value remains to be seen, but they're sure a beautiful addition to your home decor.

8 Most Popular Examples of Crystals

1. Diamonds are perhaps the most well-known crystals. They're made of carbon and are prized for their hardness and brilliance.

2. Sapphires are another popular type of crystal. They're made of aluminum oxide and come in a variety of colors, though blue is the most common.

3. Rubies are also made of aluminum oxide, but they contain trace amounts of chromium, which gives them their characteristic red color.

4. Emeralds are yet another type of aluminum oxide crystal, but they contain trace amounts of chromium and vanadium, which give them their green color.

5. Turquoise is a beautiful blue-green crystal that's made of copper and aluminum phosphate. It often contains small amounts of iron as well. 

6. Quartz comes in many different colors, including pink and purple, but it's made up of silicon dioxide (or silica). Quartz has been used since ancient times as a good luck charm or talisman due to its protective properties. 

7. Halite can be found on earth when it forms near the surface because it starts to evaporate when buried deeper underground. You may have heard this mineral referred to as rock salt or table salt at some point in your life because we use it so much for seasoning our food! 

8. Calcite is one of the more common types of minerals that exist on earth -it even makes up some limestone rocks! Calcite gets its name from the Latin word calx, meaning lime. It's composed of calcium carbonate and usually looks white or transparent. 

9. Fluorite is an interesting type of mineral that can create spectacular patterns. It ranges in color from yellow to purple and exhibits fluorescent properties when exposed to ultraviolet light (like sunlight). If you want to find fluorite, look for it around hydrothermal vents where volcanic activity occurs! When scientists say crystal, they typically mean something like diamond, ruby, sapphire, etc. that has highly organized atoms or molecules aligned in a specific three-dimensional structure. For example, a diamond is made up of pure carbon while a sapphire is mostly made of aluminum oxide. All of these examples share some important qualities: they're durable and clear with specific coloring, and they emit light when struck by something else. The image below shows what rubies might look like under intense magnification

How strong is crystal?

Crystal is extremely strong--stronger than steel, in fact. It's also very brittle, meaning that it can shatter if hit too hard. But what makes crystal so strong is its molecular structure. Each molecule is arranged in a perfect 3-D pattern, which gives the material its strength. But this same structure also makes crystal very fragile. If even one molecule is out of place, the whole crystal can shatter. Crystals also have great optical properties, like letting light pass through them easily and being able to refract light rays to create rainbows. The building blocks of crystal are often just tiny sections from larger crystals that have been cut off and separated from the rest of the rock. The process for cutting these sections off is called quarrying. You may not know it by name, but you've seen many examples of quarrying already: at concerts, in your favorite science fiction movie, even on tv commercials! So next time you're watching something with a blue background or you see an amazing show, look closer to see if there are any examples of their work! 

Modern technology has created more ways to use crystal, though. One example is computer chips—they rely on silicon crystals to make tiny transistors that change electric signals into binary code used by computers. In addition, scientists working with telescopes use glass tubes filled with gases that separate into liquids and eventually form three-dimensional crystals when cooled below certain temperatures (depending on how much gas they contain). These grown crystals allow telescopes to observe specific types of light they wouldn't be able to detect otherwise. Different types of minerals also form different types of crystal structures as they grow inside rocks deep beneath Earth's surface. Quartz and quartzite both form hexagonal crystals, while calcite forms rhombohedral crystals. Many gems are actually natural mineral deposits that were shaped by Earth's geologic forces over millions of years. Diamonds typically only come from parts of Africa where coal was once deposited deep underground; this coal turned into graphite over time and then compressed under enormous pressure to become diamond. Other gemstones include amethyst, opal, agate, turquoise, emeralds, garnets and topaz. Some people might think those colorful stones are fake because they don't seem real! Well maybe they're not...but they definitely exist all around us every day :)

Why is it considered one of the strongest substances on Earth?

Crystal is one of the strongest substances on Earth because of its molecular structure. The atoms or molecules that make up a crystal are arranged in a three-dimensional (3-D) pattern, which gives the crystal its shape and strength. This arrangement makes the crystal more resistant to stress and less likely to break than other materials. The strength of a crystal also depends on its size; larger crystals are usually stronger than smaller ones. Although scientists have identified some substances that can be even stronger than crystals (such as graphene), this remarkable substance remains among the most valuable natural resources in existence. For example, it is an essential component of computer chips and smartphones, tools used by billions of people every day. Crystals may not be readily visible to the naked eye, but they are intricately connected with our everyday lives. Some scientists say that if we don't continue mining for them responsibly, then we risk the possibility of being unprepared for their impending scarcity. So what does responsible mean? Well, from the perspective of economics, responsible mining would imply trying to ensure there will still be a market for a certain resource when it becomes scarce. One way would be investing in research and development for new products or alternative sources of the same material. From the perspective of society, responsible mining would entail taking into account factors such as environmental degradation and community stability when deciding where and how to mine something like chromium ore. Communities near mines, for instance, often experience elevated levels of lead exposure and higher rates of birth defects compared to communities further away. Researchers estimate that over 90% of lead poisoning cases in children around the world are linked to small scale mining operations, often in developing countries with few regulations around occupational health standards. Chromium ores contain high levels of lead, so those who live close to mines that process chromium ores have increased exposure to both the element and its toxic effects. As one study showed, average blood-lead concentrations were approximately 60% higher for residents living within 5 km of a major stainless steel smelter than those living farther away. Furthermore, people living closer to major industrial sources had lower cognitive test scores than residents who lived farther away. 

A long term solution would involve changing the way many traditional industries work so that communities aren't placed at risk when industries need metals for production. A good first step might be including low emissions technologies in manufacturing processes, or developing alternatives materials--like artificial diamonds--to substitute heavy metals like cobalt or nickel in traditional manufacturing processes.

Takeaways from our crystal blog

1. Atoms or molecules in a crystal are arranged in a 3-D pattern. 

2. This gives crystals their shape and hardness. 

3. Crystals can be found naturally or created artificially. 

4. Common examples of crystals include salt, sugar, and diamonds. 

5. Crystals have many uses, including jewelry and decoration. 

6. Crystals can also be used for their healing properties. 

7. If you're interested in learning more about crystals, check out our blog for more information! 

8. Also, feel free to read all of our other fantastic blogs! We cover topics such as the difference between science and pseudoscience, the history of chemistry, and what actually makes up an atom. 

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10. Now go outside and look for some crystals yourself - they might not be as hard to find as you think!