You could drop tiny crystals of CuSO4, NiCl2, FeSO4, etc. and wait without touching the vessel. As soon as the crystals gets dissolved, it wil react
and form a colored precipitate of copper, nickel or iron silicate. And these substances are lighter than the silicate solution. As a consequence, they
will form a column of metallic silicate that is steadily growing across the solution. It looks as if it was a plant growing in a garden. It is
surprising. But these columns are fragile. The smallest shock wil destroy them. |