This 2D view is a simplified cross-section of the same real crystallization kinetics as the 3D model — not a flattened reprojection of it: instead of scaling a whole 3D mesh, it tracks a growth interface — an array of independent surface columns along the crystal's top and bottom facets that each accumulate dissolved sucrose and pop outward in discrete layers once enough has deposited, the classic terrace-ledge-kink picture of real layer growth.
Sugar concentration and syrup temperature set the supersaturation S = C/Csat(T) driving each layer's deposition rate; stirring speeds resupply by thinning the depleted boundary layer. Neighboring columns are averaged toward each other every layer step, which is why a smooth, low-supersaturation facet stays flat — real attachment-limited growth self-heals small bumps. Push supersaturation and agitation high enough and that averaging can't keep up: columns diverge, the interface roughens, and the crystal reads as cloudier and less faceted, the same clear-vs-cloudy trade-off shown in the 3D model through an entirely different rendering.
- Drag to pan, scroll to zoom.
- Click the syrup to dip a new seed string alongside the first.