Difference between revisions of "Crystallisation and precipitation"

<onlyinclude>[[File:NaCl octahedra and part of crystal.svg|alt=Graphic showing NaCl (table salt) crystal consisting of sodium and chlorine atoms|thumb|200x200px|NaCl (table salt) crystal consisting of sodium and chlorine atoms]]'''Crystallisation''' is the formation of crystals from a solution. In a crystal, the atoms or molecules are highly organised into a solid repetitive structure. A simple example for crystallisation is the evaporation of the solvent. For example the salinity of the Great Salt Lake in Utah, USA, is so high that through the evaporation of water salt crystals cover its shores. Some other ways in which crystals form are precipitating from a solution, freezing, or more rarely deposition directly from a gas. Attributes of the resulting crystal depend largely on factors such as temperature, air pressure, and in the case of liquid crystals, time of fluid evaporation.</onlyinclude>