Project: How rock-sugar candy (novvot) is made
Novvot is a shiny, hard, colourless or yellowish sweet made from sugar syrup; it consists of large sugar crystals, mainly sucrose (ordinary sugar). To make it, a large amount of sugar is dissolved in hot water, so the solution becomes saturated. About 1 kg of sugar is used with 0.5 l of water, boiled gently and then cooled. The cooled solution is poured into a clean container and a string or wooden stick is lowered in. Over a few days the water slowly evaporates, the solution becomes even more saturated and sugar particles line up in order on the stick to form crystals. Sweets give energy, but too much sugar damages teeth and raises the risk of excess weight, so eat them in moderation.
Project (with an adult): 1) dissolve 200 g of sugar in 100 ml of water in a pan over low heat (hot syrup causes bad burns – only an adult does this step); 2) cool the syrup to room temperature; 3) pour it into a clean glass; 4) hang a thin wooden stick rolled in sugar in the glass; 5) leave the glass undisturbed in a dust-free place for several days and observe daily. Safety: children must not touch hot syrup. Eat the crystals only if the glass and stick stayed clean.