Editing Hot Ice (section)

== Why This Works ==

''Super Saturated Solutions'' are solutions that contain more of a dissolved compound than they would normally be able to contain. This often happens when a solvent, like water, is first heated before a solute, like our sodium acetate, is added to it. If you add in enough of the solute until the solvent almost cannot contain more of it, and the solution is then allowed to cool while undisturbed, then the solute will stay in solution. The solution, however, has a lot of stored energy due to the excess solute, and it wants to release that energy. In order to release it, however, it needs to have an ''Activation Energy'', or energy come in from an outside source in order to kick-start the process. Along with the activation energy, the solution might require a ''seed crystal'', or a small crystal to provide a starting point for the crystallization process. 

When the solution is poured out onto the watch glass, the small amount of energy given from being poured out, along with the seed crystal on the watch glass, is enough to trigger the crystallization. The solution can also start to crystallize inside the flask if there is enough activation energy, such as when the bottle is shaken. Lastly, the solution can crystallize if any of the solvent were to evaporate away and cause the concentration to be too high to stay in solution, which is why the solution crystallizes on its own if left open for extended periods!

In a cave or cavern, stalagmites and stalactites can form due to minerals coming out of the water in the cave. The water in a cave can have very high concentrations of various minerals, to the point of supersaturation. As water drips from a cave ceiling, it may leave behind a small mineral crystal on the ceiling. Over time, the mineral deposits can build on top of each other, and eventually form a stalactite. Likewise, as water drips onto the floor of the cave, the impact with the floor may cause a mineral to crystallize out of solution. Over time, these drops can build on top of each other to create a stalagmite!