How gemstones are formed. Interesting information about natural stones How stones are born

All ages are submissive to this “popular” disease: from newborns to the elderly. Unfortunately, people do not always choose right ways getting rid of stones. Where is the exit?

Word to our expert - candidate of medical sciences, urologist Vitaly Mukhin.

The disease occurs due to metabolic disorders, especially due to changes in the water-salt and chemical composition of the blood. But what exactly causes such a failure remains a mystery.

non-precious stones

The stones formed in the body differ in their structure, structure and chemical composition and also in size. They are small, like sand on the beach, but they can also resemble kilogram cobblestones. Stones also differ significantly in color: among them there are white, gray, yellow, brown, red and even black.

There are the following types of stones:

Urates (uric acid stones)- the most rare, occur in 5-15% of cases. They have a smooth surface, hard texture, granular structure. Colour: dark yellow to brick brown. Their development can provoke the use of exclusively meat and fish food.

Oxalates- the most common, observed in 65-75% of cases. They are formed from calcium oxalate. Like urates, they are more common in acidic urine. Oxalates are considered the hardest and sharpest. The scratchy edges of these dark brown stones can injure the urinary tract. The development of oxalates can also provoke the consumption of meat and fish foods.

Phosphates occur quite frequently. They consist of calcium and magnesium salts of phosphoric acid. Their formation is facilitated by the use of plant foods.

Carbonates are easily crumbling stones.

Risk factors

• genetic predisposition.
• Chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and organs of the genitourinary system.
• Osteoporosis and other bone diseases.
• Violation of the function of the parathyroid glands.
• Prolonged dehydration of the body (most often it is the result of poisoning or an infectious disease).
• Lack of vitamins in the body, especially vitamin D, which is synthesized under the influence of sunlight. However, an excess of sun and a hot climate are no less harmful.
• Abuse of products that increase the acidity of urine (acute, sour, salty), as well as an abundance of protein in food or a monotonous diet.
• Drinking hard water with a high salt content.
• A sedentary lifestyle leading to a violation of phosphorus-calcium metabolism.

Symptoms

1. Pain and feeling of heaviness in the lower back, slightly above and to the side of the sacrum. This is the main, though not essential, feature. urolithiasis- after all, sometimes it flows “silently”. As a rule, it hurts on one side, especially strongly - during physical exertion or when changing body position.

2. Pain in the lower abdomen, as well as in the groin and genital area.

3. An admixture of blood in the urine (this happens when the stone damages the mucous membrane).

4. Pain when urinating, frequent urination, cloudy urine. Unreasonable and sharp urge to urinate appear more often when walking, shaking or exercising.

5. Edema.

6. Increase in body temperature. The prevalence of any of the symptoms will depend on where the stone is located: in the kidneys, bladder or ureter. Nevertheless, the presence of at least one of the symptoms is a good reason to contact a urologist as soon as possible, without waiting for the onset of the most painful of the symptoms of urolithiasis - renal colic, which can be caused by even a single small stone stuck in the ureter.

Diagnostics

Urolithiasis can be confused with appendicitis, cholecystitis, intestinal obstruction and pancreatitis, so an accurate diagnosis can only be made after receiving urological examination data. It includes research such as:

• General analysis blood(reveals the presence of an inflammatory process in the body).
• General urine analysis. It may show leukoceturia (inflammation in the kidneys) and the presence of salts.
• Ultrasound of the kidneys. This is one of the main methods for detecting stones in the organs of the urinary system (but, unfortunately, stones in the ureter cannot be seen this way).
• Urography or computed tomography (CT). They will show the anatomical structure and functionality of the kidneys, help assess the size, structure and location of the stones (if any).
• Radioisotope research. Helps to clarify how well the kidneys cope with their excretory functions.

Fighting methods

Treatment of urolithiasis depends on the size of the stone and the presence or absence of complications.

1. On your own.

Small stones (up to 3-4 mm), the so-called "sand", you can try to expel yourself. Diet plays an important role here. There are also special preparations that help dissolve and remove small stones, as well as herbs with the same effect (bearberry, horsetail, bear ears). But, as a rule, only uric acid stones (urates) can be dissolved, and even then not always, and with formed oxalate and phosphate stones, such treatment is unlikely to be effective. Therefore, before doing something yourself, you must definitely get the approval of a doctor.

2. Right on target!

Calculi from 4 mm to 1.5 cm in diameter, as well as small stones that are not amenable to conservative treatment, can be crushed. How? The method of remote lithotripsy (DLT). This non-contact (and most often painless) method is suitable for people of all ages, from 7-month-old infants to the elderly, as well as for patients with severe illnesses for whom surgery is not an option.

The effectiveness of DLT does not depend on the size and amount of "treasures" accumulated in the kidneys. The procedure takes about 40 minutes. The patient lies down on a lithotripter table, under which a special field is created, then the “sight” of the apparatus is aimed at the area of ​​influence, which, without even touching the body, begins to crush kidney stones. All that a person feels is a slight tingling in the lumbar region and clicks emitted by the apparatus. In the West, this procedure is usually carried out on an outpatient basis. We usually keep a patient in the clinic for 2-3 days. How long the crushed stones will leave the body depends both on the structure of the stone itself and on its “experience” life together with a person. Sometimes the “sand” flows out of the body almost without pain, already on the first day after the procedure. But the process can drag on for a month and can sometimes be accompanied by pain, reminiscent of an attack of cystitis. After 1-2 days and a month after the procedure, you need to come for an examination to the urologist and do a control ultrasound. As a rule, 1-2 procedures are enough.

3. There is a contact!

If the stones are larger than permissible, they can only be crushed by contact. In this case, an invasive intervention is performed - nephrolitholapaxy. Under anesthesia (general or epidural), a skin puncture is made to the patient over the kidney and under the control of ultrasound and X-ray, expanding the space with bougies, an optical system is inserted inside. Then, with the help of special devices (ultrasonic, laser, pneumatic), the stone is crushed. Sometimes the instruments are inserted not through a skin puncture, but through the urethra - then there is no trace of the intervention on the body, and rehabilitation is even easier. Thanks to nephrolitholapaxy, all stones can be immediately destroyed and their fragments removed.

Today, traditional surgical methods for removing kidney stones are used in rare, difficult cases.

Unfortunately, urolithiasis often relapses. Therefore, once removing the stones, you can later encounter this problem again. So all patients who have undergone treatment are recommended to undergo an ultrasound of the kidneys once a year. It is important for people with problematic kidneys not to get too cold, always keep the lower back warm. And if even slight discomfort appears in the lumbar region, immediately contact a urologist. It is also necessary to promptly treat inflammatory processes urinary organs, so as not to provoke the development of various kinds of complications.

If you began to worry about pain in the lumbar region, then this may indicate that stones began to form in your kidneys. Usually such a disease occurs if the metabolic processes in the human body are disturbed. According to statistics, this disease worries every eleventh person. This most often affects men aged twenty-five to sixty years, but exceptions are possible.

In this article, we will talk about how kidney stones form, and also find out what are the causes of this pathology, how it is diagnosed and treated. Carefully read the information provided in order to arm and protect yourself as much as possible.

What are these stones?

Everyone should be aware of how kidney stones form. Most often, such stones consist of calcium salts, which in science are called carbonates. However, in some cases, stones may also contain salts of oxalic acid, as well as phosphoric or uric acids. Some stones may be of a protein, cystine, or urate nature. However, this is extremely rare.

When a stone comes out, it is very important to catch it and send it for research, since the further treatment process will depend on this. Quite often, patients suffering from urolithiasis, simultaneously with this disease, also have various pathogenic bacteria in urinary tract. Keep in mind that if bacteria get into the kidney, this can also contribute to the formation of stones in it. It is for this reason that coral-like stones develop. Such formations grow so quickly and strongly that they can completely occupy the entire space of the internal organ.

If you understand why and how kidney stones form, you can prevent the development of this disease by taking all necessary measures in a timely manner. Usually, first of all, neoplasms are formed in the kidneys, after which the disease spreads further, affecting the ureters, bladder as well as the urethra. Stones can be absolutely different size. There are very small formations, up to three millimeters in diameter, as well as large ones - exceeding fifteen millimeters. It is very important to prevent the occurrence of such a stage, otherwise the disease may end in a fatal outcome for the patient.

oxalate stones

Most often, patients meet precisely with oxalate kidney stones. What they are formed from is of interest to many people who are afraid to face such a dangerous pathology. These neoplasms, like all the others, occur in the body in the presence of pathologies in metabolic processes, as well as when people abuse oxalic and ascorbic acids. These acids are found in foods such as sorrel, spinach, citrus fruits, tomatoes, cranberries, and all types of sour-tasting fruits and berries. These stones range in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters. However, in some cases, neoplasms can be so large that they occupy the entire space of the kidney. Such stones have a heterogeneous structure with sharp edges and spikes, therefore they are very dangerous, as they can damage internal organs. If you notice that you have bloody discharge in your urine, immediately run to the hospital, as this most likely indicates that it was such a stone that damaged the urinary ducts.

How are kidney stones formed?

In fact, the process of salt formation is quite complex. According to experts, this is due to violations of urine colloids, as well as changes in renal chlorenchyma. Stones can form from various crystals and mineral salts that accumulate in the kidneys over time. So, when disturbances occur in the body's metabolic system that affect the balance of fluid concentration, as well as other components of urine, then all the crystals accumulated in the kidneys can precipitate and begin to accumulate in the urinary tract. This is how you can briefly describe the process of how kidney stones are formed.

Stones always begin to form from insoluble particles if, for some reason, violations have occurred in the body. The speed, as well as the intensity of the process of stone formation is individual, and depends on many factors.

Why do kidney stones form?

There are a huge number of reasons for the formation of urolithiasis. This disease affects all the inhabitants of our planet. That is why the question of why kidney stones form is so relevant. The occurrence of this disease may be accompanied by a large number of factors. Consider the most significant of them:

• hormonal changes in the body;
• there is a very high level of calcium in the blood;
• also a common reason why stones and sand are formed in the kidneys is the abuse of alcohol-containing drinks;
• Another reason for stone formation is the consumption of certain drinks, as well as foods that contain a large amount of calcium.

In other words, stones can form under the influence of external and internal causes.

External factors include a change in climatic conditions, poor nutrition, as well as the use of large amounts of water containing lime salt.

But internal causes include hormonal imbalances, mineral metabolism, as well as the presence of injuries to bone tissue and the spinal cord. It should also include the presence of diseases of the digestive system, abnormal liver function, changes in the composition of urine, and the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in the organs of the urinary system.

What foods are associated with the formation of stones?

Do not forget that in everything you need to know the measure. If you eat your favorite, but at the same time harmful food products, then it will not bring significant harm to your body. However, regular abuse can be extremely dangerous for the body. And so, consider what foods form kidney stones:

• If you are prone to stone formation, try to reduce the amount of greens in your diet, and especially foods such as sorrel, spinach and rhubarb. They contain a large amount of oxalic acid, which can cause stones to form. Also, experts recommend reducing the consumption of milk, strawberries, beets and cabbage.

• Sardines and red meat. However, you should not completely exclude these products from your diet. You can consume once every ten to fourteen days.
• Consumption of carbonated drinks. They contain a large amount of phosphoric acid, which can provoke the process of stone formation.
• The use of refined carbohydrates disrupts the production of insulin, and this leads to the process of washing out calcium from the body, which contributes to its precipitation. The same applies to coffee drinks.
• Alcohol-containing drinks significantly speed up the process of urination, which helps to accelerate the removal of nutrients from the body. In this case, the crystals can also precipitate and provoke the formation of stones.
• Excessive salt intake is very dangerous for the body, because it is this product that most often leads to stone formation. It contributes to the retention of water in the cells, and this leads to the deposition of calcium in them.

How fast are stones formed?

Many patients are interested in the question of how quickly kidney stones form. In fact, such a phenomenon is considered individual. For some, the size of the stones increases very quickly, for others it is quite slow. It all depends on the metabolic processes in the body, as well as on the lifestyle of a person. When asked how quickly kidney stones form, doctors may answer that they can appear in the body even in a few days.

Quite often, the patient may suffer from this disease and not even be aware of its presence. However, as soon as the stones become impressive in size and the disease begins to be accompanied by severe pain, it will immediately become clear that stones have formed in the kidneys.

The main symptoms of this disease

From what kidney stones are formed, we have already found out. Now it’s worth figuring out what the symptoms of this phenomenon are. Of course, the first and most important symptom is the presence of strong pain. However, quite often the initial stages of this disease do not have any symptoms, so the patient does not start the treatment process in a timely manner and greatly aggravates his situation.

This disease is usually accompanied by pain in the lumbar region when performing physical activity, as well as when in the wrong position of the body. Pain can also occur in the lower abdomen and inguinal region.

Usually, after prolonged severe bouts of pain, the formed stones begin to leave the body with urine.

The color of urine can also indicate kidney stones. Usually, in the presence of this disease, it acquires dark shade. In some cases, spotting can be seen in it. If you have these symptoms, go to the hospital immediately.

Also, the course of the pathology may be accompanied by an increase in body temperature, which cannot be brought down by conventional drugs.

Features of diagnostics

In fact, the disease can already be diagnosed based on the patient's complaints. However, this is far from enough. It is very important for the patient to take urine and blood tests, as well as undergo an ultrasound examination. However, this method does not always give absolutely accurate results. When examining, it is very important to know where kidney stones form. Therefore, in order to obtain a complete picture of the disease, doctors prescribe a CT scan of the kidneys to their patients. The presence of stones can also be determined using x-rays. However, this method does not allow to detect protein and uric acid stones. To date, the most accurate results can be achieved using a magnetic resonance type of study.

Features of treatment

Many patients are interested in the question of how quickly kidney stones form again. Here a lot will depend on the patient himself. If he does not improve his diet and learn to lead healthy lifestyle life, the chance of recurrence is very high. Within a month, you can see how the disease begins to progress again. If the patient clearly fulfills all the requirements of the doctor, then the disease may stop bothering him at all.

And so, consider what are the features of the treatment of this disease.

Kidney stones can be treated conservatively as well as surgically. Treatment depends on the type of stones as well as their size. So, there are special solvents that can eliminate certain types of stones. The course of treatment with such drugs is about two to three months. However, do not expect that there are magic pills that can eliminate all types of this ailment.

Surgical treatment is not used very often. This is usually done in cases where the patient travels a lot and lives in distant parts of the globe. Most often, operations are prescribed for those patients who have formed very large stone formations, or the person suffers from kidney failure.

In other cases, endoscopic procedures are used. A special device is inserted through the urethra into the kidney, where it crushes the stones, while removing their large pieces. Small particles will leave the body on their own, along with urine. Most often, laser and ultrasonic methods are used for crushing.

Features of proper nutrition

Even if you were able to get rid of kidney stones using a surgical or conservative method, you should not hope that you have completely eliminated this pathology. The formation of kidney stones is a chronic process, therefore, without taking the necessary preventive measures, the disease will make itself felt again and again. There is no general diet suitable for every patient. The doctor will select a diet that will be suitable for you, based on the etymology of the disease, as well as on the characteristics of your body.

If the patient has been identified, then he should exclude such foods as liver, kidneys, fish and meat broths from his diet. For oxalate stones, reduce your intake of lettuce, spinach, and sorrel as much as possible. But for the prevention of phosphate stones, experts recommend excluding foods such as fruits, vegetables and milk from the diet.

The most important step in the treatment of urolithiasis is the use of a sufficient amount of fluid. Compliance this council is very important for kidney health. Every day you need to drink at least one and a half liters of purified water. At the same time, in no case do not drink sweet carbonated drinks, as well as coffee. Such drinks not only do not quench thirst, but also provoke the formation of stones in the urinary system.

Also, doctors strongly recommend that their patients lead an active lifestyle, which includes sports, as well as daily walks in the fresh air. And if possible, avoid stressful situations, because stress is a dangerous enemy of the hormonal system of our body.

conclusions

How long does it take for kidney stones to form? This is a question that interests many patients. Once again it is worth repeating that this process is individual, as it depends on the eating habits of a person, as well as on the individual characteristics of his body. Everyone can be exposed to the process of stone formation, so carefully monitor your health.

Most people only know about diamonds that they are the hardest minerals on the planet and that diamonds are made from them. And here is the answer to interest Ask little is known about how they are formed. Let's find out more about the origin of this mineral.

It should be noted that the "kings of stones" are formed in several ways. Scientists have not yet come to a consensus on this matter, so we will present the most popular hypotheses about the origin of the stone. It is only known that these non-metals are obtained under conditions of strong pressure on carbon. They and their production are very expensive, which is one of the reasons why the cost is so high. The second reason is a large number of useful qualities that have been actively used by a person for a long time.

meteorite child

Back in the 19th century, scientists discovered diamond crystals while studying a meteorite that fell to Earth. As it turned out, this mineral, like many other components of a meteorite, is obtained by a collision of a celestial body with the surface of the planet. This is due to the enormous pressure and temperature exerted on the carbon upon impact. However, very few crystals form in a meteorite. They are called impactites.

Mantle-magmatic theory

Some researchers believe that the diamond in nature was formed in the period from 100 million to 2.5 billion years ago underground. It was there, according to scientists, that the most suitable conditions for the formation of minerals were created: huge pressure, elevated temperature, homogeneous environment, and the absence of a temperature gradient.

And through explosive processes (volcanic activity, etc.), these minerals were brought to the surface of the Earth, from which it follows that the most large deposits non-metals are found near holes in the earth's crust. This theory also explains how the mineral appears at the bottom of the oceans.

Giant space ball

The question of where diamonds come from has been studied from different angles. When the study of these stones of meteorite origin began, some scientists believed that in space the mineral breaks off from huge diamond planets, and, having combined with a meteorite, arrives on Earth.

This theory was not confirmed: the crystals formed exactly as described above. However, in space, there really is at least one body, partly consisting of a valuable stone. The white dwarf star Lucy, located in the constellation of the Centaurus, has a core of pure diamond. Its weight is difficult to calculate accurately: scientists talk about trillions of trillions of carats, and the diameter of the spherical nucleus is about 4 thousand kilometers.

Synthetic minerals

People have long dreamed of learning how to create this non-metal on their own, but it only happened in the 20th century. Carbon, or rather its source - graphite, is subjected to strong pressure and high temperature. This happens with the help of a hydraulic press and electric current. The formation of diamonds in this way is reliable, but expensive.

There are two more methods by which artificial "kings of stones" appear: by exposure to an explosion and by growing crystals in a methane environment. Artificial minerals are more often used in production than in jewelry, although they are in no way inferior to natural ones.

The basis of production, carbon, is a very common material, so there are no problems with the extraction of raw materials for the artificial creation of stones. In terms of price, quality and availability, graphite is the best raw material, so it is used most often.

By the way, the synthetic production of such stones contributed to the discovery of a new, even more durable material. They named it ACNR. This stone, which can also be formed from carbon by heating, can even scratch a diamond. Perhaps future generations will make extensive use of it in practice.

Deposits and production

The extraction of diamond-bearing rock is a very difficult task. It is required to find a deposit, develop it, and only after that start the extraction process itself. The ore is mined by machines, then crushed, sorted to isolate the pure kimberlite rock, which is the raw material.

The kimberlite is then sent to production, where it is sorted by size and grade, after which the diamonds are ready for further use. Part goes to making a diamond, part goes to various devices.

Kimberlite ore is found on the entire surface of the Earth, excluding Antarctica. The leaders in the number of reserves of this valuable stone are Russia, Canada and Botswana. The first developments appeared in the 17th century.

The so-called "king of stones" has long attracted people big amount useful properties, the main of which is its incredible hardness. But getting crystals is not so easy, especially considering that the origin of diamonds is far from being fully explored. Let's hope that very soon scientists will solve this problem and understand exactly how mineral deposits arise. This will significantly expand the range of its use, as well as increase the amount of work where the stone is already used.

Almost 200 years ago, the brilliant Russian scientist M. V. Lomonosov quite correctly explained the formation of fossil coal from plant residues, just as peat is now formed. Lomonosov also indicated the conditions necessary for the transformation of peat into coal: the decomposition of vegetation "without free air", heat inside the Earth and the "burden of the roof", i.e., the pressure of rocks.

It takes a very long time for peat to turn into coal. Peat accumulates in the swamp, and from above the swamp is overgrown with more and more new layers of plants. At depth, peat is constantly changing. The complex chemical compounds that make up plants break down into simpler ones. One part dissolves and is carried away with water, the other passes into a gaseous state: carbon dioxide and light gas - methane (the same gas burns in our stoves). An important role in the formation of coal is played by fungi and bacteria that inhabit all peat bogs. They help the destruction of plant tissue. In the process of these changes in peat, the most stable substance, carbon, accumulates in it. As it changes, peat becomes more and more rich in carbon.

The accumulation of carbon in peat occurs without access to oxygen, otherwise carbon, combining with oxygen, would turn completely into carbon dioxide and evaporate. The resulting layers of peat are first isolated from the oxygen of the air by the water covering them, then by newly emerging layers of peat.

This is how the process of turning peat into fossil coal gradually proceeds. There are several main types of fossil coal: lignite, brown coal, bituminous coal, anthracite, boghead, etc.

The most similar to peat is lignite - loose brown coal, of not very old origin. It clearly shows the remains of plants, mainly wood (hence the name "lignite", which means "wooden"). Lignite is woody peat. In modern temperate peat bogs, peat is formed mainly from peat moss, sedge, reeds, but in the subtropical zone of the globe, for example, in Florida forest bogs in the USA, woody peat is also formed, very similar to fossil lignite.

With a stronger decomposition and change in plant residues, brown coal is created. Its color is dark brown or black; it is stronger than lignite, wood remains are less common in it and it is more difficult to see them. When burning brown coal gives off more heat than lignite, since it is richer in carbon. Brown coal does not always turn into hard coal over time. It is known that the brown coal of the Moscow Basin is of the same age as the hard coal on the western slope of the Urals (Kizel basin). The process of turning brown coal into hard coal occurs only when layers of brown coal sink into deeper horizons of the earth's crust or mountain building processes occur. For the transformation of brown coal into - stone or anthracite, a very high temperature and great pressure in the bowels of the Earth are needed. In coal, only under a microscope are the remains of plants visible; it is heavy, lustrous, and often very strong. Some grades of coal themselves or together with other grades coke, that is, they turn into coke.

The largest amount of carbon contains black shiny coal - anthracite. You can find the remains of plants in it only under a microscope. When burned, anthracite gives off more heat than all other grades of coal.

Boghead - dense black coal with a conchoidal fracture surface; dry distillation gives a large amount of coal tar - a valuable raw material for the chemical industry. Boghead is formed from algae and sapropel.

The longer the coal lies in the earth's layers and the more it is subjected to pressure and the action of deep heat, the more carbon it contains. Anthracite contains about 95% carbon, brown coal - about 70%, and peat - from 50 to 65%.

In the swamp, where peat initially accumulates, clay, sand and various dissolved substances usually get along with water. They form mineral impurities in peat, which then remain in coal. These impurities often form interlayers that separate the coal seam into several layers. The admixture contaminates the coal and makes it difficult to develop.

When coal is burned, all mineral impurities remain in the form of ash. The better the coal, the less ash it should contain. In good grades of coal, it is only a few percent, but sometimes the amount of ash reaches 30-40%. If the ash is more than 60%, then coal does not burn at all and is not suitable for fuel.

Coal seams are different not only in their composition, but also in structure. Sometimes the entire seam is composed of pure coal throughout its entire thickness. This means that it was formed in a peat bog, where water polluted with clay and sand almost did not get. Such coal can be burned immediately. More often, coal seams alternate with clayey or sandy interlayers. Such seams of coal are called complex. In them, for example, a seam of 1 m thick often has 10-15 layers of clay, several centimeters thick each, and pure coal accounts for only 60-70 cm; while the coal can be of very good quality.

To obtain fuel with a low content of foreign impurities from coal, coal is enriched. From the mine, the rock is immediately sent to the processing plant. There, the rock mined in the mine is crushed into small pieces in special machines, and then all clay lumps are separated from the coal. Clay is always heavier than coal, so the mixture of coal and clay is washed with a stream of water. The strength of the jet is chosen so that it takes out coal, and heavier clay would remain below. Then water with coal is passed through a frequent grate. The water drains and the coal, now clean and free of clay particles, collects on the surface of the grate. Such coal is called enriched. There will be very little ash left in it. It happens that the ash in coal is not a harmful impurity, but a mineral. Thus, for example, thin, clayey turbidity, brought into the swamp by streams and rivers, often forms interlayers of valuable refractory clay. It is specially developed or collected from the ash remaining after the combustion of coal, and then used to make porcelain dishes and other products. Sometimes found in the ashes of coal.

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My children and I visited the amazing place "rock park". To be honest, we went there unprepared, and did not yet know as much about stones as we know now, but such sudden walks have their own charm - impromptu and a flight of fancy for mom, and for children, too!

Be sure to download this presentation. You need to switch between slides manually, since there is a lot of information on the slides, and the reading speed of mothers is different.

You can video report on a trip to the park. After going to the park, of course, for several days we played only "pebbles".

I had to hastily come up with some games to entertain the kids:

First, of course, we collected a whole bag of stones and began to examine these stones. Of all the stones, we found a heterogeneous color in only three, but in most of the stones we saw layering

We very often animate stones and, in general, any objects. They go to visit each other, drink tea and ride in cars. This is one of my children's favorite story games and in terms of time, this game can take a whole day. Even during the lunch break, the children scream that they have not finished playing yet.)))

They threw stones from a distance into a bucket. We are not cultivating the spirit of competition yet, everyone was given as many attempts as needed to still get in, because there were also 2 buckets)))))))

- they laid out a drawing from stones - a flower. For some larger drawing, we probably wouldn’t have enough stones.

I also remembered the game-experience from childhood. We took 2 stones (one stone in each hand) with the index and thumbs and joined these stones with each other, and it was necessary to press quite hard.

The leader, at this time, takes another stone, and, as it were, entangles the junction with it - 10 times (throws it behind the hitch and puts his hand out from below to catch the stone). Then 10 times the stone is thrown (caught from below with the palm of the hand and thrown again) into the holes-rings formed between the thumb and forefinger, first of one hand, then the other. When all procedures are completed, the subject is allowed to slowly attempt to pull the stones away from each other. It feels like you are unplugging the iron from the magnet. The properties of the stones have nothing to do with it, I think it's just that the hands are numb from strong tension, so it seems like some kind of attraction. But anyway, this game with stones also really liked the children.

They took a stone - chalk, and painted on it! Directly on the floor) stone tiles allow us to draw on it, do plasticine work, and glue stickers. Everything is easy to wash!

We started the next day by watching the presentation.

After watching and my detailed stories about stones, crystals and minerals, we began to play games in the footsteps of the studied material:

1) looked into my father's collection of stones, found a stunning stone (we have already discovered it before, but considered it from a different point of view). Unsightly on the outside and all layered on the inside. Clearly formed deep under water, where sediments were stony layer by layer. This is one of the amazing beautiful stones in the collection. He found it on the Red Sea in Eilat.

Somehow, this stone (it is the largest in the photo) was seen by a geologist and he told his husband that there, inside, the remains of some kind of marine animal were petrified, most likely, and then, layer by layer, sediments were superimposed and petrified.

2) the next step was, of course, . We have our model at home, which we launch on various occasions. The study of stones is just the right occasion. Launched the volcano, watched the lava splashing out of the volcano. Pebbles were laid out at the bottom of the volcano, which they called basalt, pumice, andesite, obsidian, and other pebbles were thrown into the mouth of the volcano, with the names granite and quartz. Well, we started playing with pebbles))) The stones went to visit each other - the intravolcanic ones invited to their house, and the non-volcanic ones to themselves. Then we rolled pebbles in cars for a long time and told how much we like the volcanic eruption.

With that, the first day of games came to an end. the children, tired and happy, it seems to me, even in a dream repeated the strange names of their new heroes)))

3) The next day, in hot pursuit, we began with a discussion of the second method of stone formation - sedimentary. Although, the day before, when studying a stone from Eilat, we already casually spoke it. Made yourself layered sandwiches and ate them! But everything is clear - bread and cheese, tomato, lettuce, if only it would fit in your mouth now))))

4) Then we moved on to discussing crystals. I already told David that everything in our world consists of molecules, he also knows that different states of bodies correspond to different movements of molecules, so we just remembered that the molecules of solid bodies do not move, but only oscillate, and have strong bonds together. For clarity and in general for fun, we all got up in formation, joined hands and created our own crystal lattice. The children pulled me to the right and to the left, but I stood still, and because of this, they did not move either. That's how I explained to them the mutual relationship between molecules. Then we moved on to creativity.

5) We took plasticine, tubes for cocktails, and began to create crystalline forms. Alas, we didn’t succeed in particularly complex figures, but we succeeded in 100% with the diamond! Of course, they studied my ring (not with a diamond, but with zirconium, the quality may not be, but it looks very similar), compared the stone with a pencil rod. They were very surprised that both stones consist of the same element, but they have nothing in common in appearance.

6) Well, then we started the experiments:

Experience 1

Obtaining water crystals

Pour water into a transparent glass and mark the water level. After a while, they pulled out the glass and saw that the ice in the glass was above the water mark. "Why?" asked a reasonable question David. And that's why, I answered and drew something like this diagram:

In the first picture, the water molecules, in fact, they move freely, although they are connected to each other. But in the second scheme - the molecules of the same water, but in a frozen form - they, like soldiers, line up in such flower (David called them flowers) figures. Such an order requires much more space than mobile water molecules (even a simple calculation will show that 16 water molecules and 13 ice molecules can occupy the same place, count in the picture!).

This is how we got the water crystal.

Experience 2

growing salt crystal.

They made a saline solution, tied a thread on a pencil and lowered the thread into the solution. We are waiting for the crystal fish to fall on our hook. Our water is slightly tinted with tea, David wondered if this would affect the color of the crystal.