[editor-surveyor]

"Leave some salt or sugar water out in the sun. You'll end up with crystals which are more complex than their structure in solution"

People who believe this should take a course in basic chemistry. The shape of any crystal is pre-determined by the bonding angle created by electron sharing in the molecule. dissolving the molecules in water is simply a case of a greater force (the polar water molecule) overcoming a lesser force (the molecular bond of the solute) for the period of time it takes for the substance causing the greater force to evaporate.

Those crystals will form in the same way every time unless an impurity causes some random error. In other words, the order is in the molecule - forever.

[DallasMike]

People who believe this should take a course in basic chemistry. The shape of any crystal is pre-determined by the bonding angle created by electron sharing in the molecule. dissolving the molecules in water is simply a case of a greater force (the polar water molecule) overcoming a lesser force (the molecular bond of the solute) for the period of time it takes for the substance causing the greater force to evaporate.

Thank you for the very clear and concise explanation.

[tallhappy]

The salt is h-bonded with water in solution with a greater entropic component to their free energy.

It takes on a more complex structure in NaCl crystal form after the water evaporates.

The water after evaporating, though, is in a less complex form than it was in solution.

[js1138]

People who believe this should take a course in basic chemistry. The shape of any crystal is pre-determined by the bonding angle created by electron sharing in the molecule.

Does this apply to all crystals?

[Right Wing Professor]

People who believe this should take a course in basic chemistry. The shape of any crystal is pre-determined by the bonding angle created by electron sharing in the molecule. dissolving the molecules in water is simply a case of a greater force (the polar water molecule) overcoming a lesser force (the molecular bond of the solute) for the period of time it takes for the substance causing the greater force to evaporate. Those crystals will form in the same way every time unless an impurity causes some random error. In other words, the order is in the molecule - forever.

Speaking in my professional capacity as a professor of chemistry, this is utter gibberish. Crytallization usually causes a substantial decrease in the entropy of the crystallizing molecule over that in solution; in no sense is 'the order... in the molecule.'

I thought you'd like to know, so you can get a refund on your tuition.