Does rock candy grow faster with seed crystals or sugar crystals?

* Seed crystals provide a nucleation point: Seed crystals are small crystals of the same substance (sugar in this case) that act as a starting point for the growth of larger crystals. They provide a surface with an existing crystal lattice structure, making it easier for sugar molecules to attach and form a larger crystal.

* Sugar crystals are less efficient: While sugar crystals can technically be used as a "seed," they are much larger and less efficient. The process of dissolving and recrystallizing sugar crystals takes longer, and the growth process isn't as focused as it is with seed crystals.

In summary:

* Seed crystals provide a pre-existing crystal structure, leading to faster growth.

* Sugar crystals need to dissolve and recrystallize, slowing down the process.

Therefore, using seed crystals will result in faster rock candy growth compared to using sugar crystals.