MiO My,

The beautiful crystal properties of water flavoring

In my budding endeavors to examine and document the intersting properties, behaviors, and modalities of crystals, I began searching the kitchen cupboards for suitable candidates. Here in the states a brand of water flavors called MiO were popular for a spell and I wound up with a decent clutter of various flavors. One of the first things that jumped out at me was the wide-ranging variety of ingredients listed. I'd expect the basic formula to be consistent, with minor variations depending on the flavor. Some contain salt, others caffeine, taurine, citric acid, various vitamins and of course food coloring.

Next I began observing individual flavors under the microscope. I was curious to see what/if crystals would form and if they would tend to share common characteristics. To my surprise a wide variety of crystal formations quickly developed, ranging from “natural” chaotic, to curiously uniform and orderly. I'm beginning to see what a wide range of permutations and possibilities exist withing the strange confines of this microscopic world.

If nothing else, they're nice to look at.

No special technique here. Just apply a concentrated drop to the slide and observe. Perhaps I'll mix in a little water and see how that affects the sample.