Yes, it’s true! Just
like human fingerprints are each different, every snowflake is different,
although each snowflake is made up of thousands of tiny, identically shaped
hexagonal (six-sided) crystals gathered together. There are many reasons
that no two snowflakes are alike. Snowflakes form by sticking to each
other while falling and blowing through the wind.
like human fingerprints are each different, every snowflake is different,
although each snowflake is made up of thousands of tiny, identically shaped
hexagonal (six-sided) crystals gathered together. There are many reasons
that no two snowflakes are alike. Snowflakes form by sticking to each
other while falling and blowing through the wind.
Snow crystals are frozen water molecules that bond together. Every snowflake is a collection of snow crystals. Snowflakes can consist of only 2 snow crystals or hundreds of snow crystals. Snowflakes are formed when snow crystals grow into tiny, sometimes microscopic, “symmetrical” shapes. A perfectly formed six-sided snowflake is called “symmetrical”. “Symmetrical” means: proportional, or having an equal number of parts.
Factors that influence the size and shape of a
snowflake are:
snowflake are:
·
Air
currents (which direction the air is moving)
Air
currents (which direction the air is moving)
·
Humidity
levels (the amount of water vapor in the air)
Humidity
levels (the amount of water vapor in the air)
·
How long
it takes the crystal to fall
How long
it takes the crystal to fall
·
Wind
speed
Wind
speed
·
Amount of
dust, salt or other solid particles in the air
Amount of
dust, salt or other solid particles in the air
·
Pressure
from the weight of other snow crystals
Pressure
from the weight of other snow crystals
·
Combining
shapes with other snow crystals
Combining
shapes with other snow crystals
·
Changes
to any of these factors
Changes
to any of these factors
Try these Snow Activities