Internet Scavenger Hunt:
Snowflakes and Snow Crystals
Name: _
alice long
_____________________________________________
Have you ever heard the saying that no two snowflakes are alike? Learn the real science behind
snowflakes and snow crystals by using the Web site below to answer the questions.
Web site: www.snowcrystals.com
URL: http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/primer/primer.htm
1. Explain the difference between snowflakes and snow crystals. __Snowflakes and snow crystals are made of ice,
and pretty much nothing more. A snow crystal, as the name implies, is a single crystal of ice. A snowflake is a more
general term; it can mean an individual snow crystal, or a few snow crystals stuck together, or large agglomerations of
snow crystals that form "puff-balls" that float down from the clouds.
2. How do snow crystals form?The water molecules
in an ice crystal form a hexagonal lattice,
as shown at right (the two structures show different views of the same crystal). Each red
ball represents an oxygen atom, while the grey sticks represent hydrogen atoms.
3. What two factors determine the shape of a snow crystal?Temperature
and humidity
4. Look at the Morphology Diagram.? What conditions encourage complex shapes to form
Higher humidity and temperatures between -10° to -20° C (5° to
15° F).
5. What does it mean when water is “supercooled”? Supercooled
means that the water is
cooled below the freezing point.
Something to think about: Does it snow where you live? What are some things people like to do
when it snows?
Learn more: Use the activities on this Web site to study snowflakes and snow crystals up close:
http://www.espsciencetime.org/student_life.cfm?subpage=295683.
Do you see any of the same snow crystals that you learned about earlier?
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