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The science of snowflakes

Read on to learn all about snowflakes!

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A snowflake, or snow crystal, forms when water vapor meets dust or pollen in clouds, creating a hexagonal structure due to the angle of water molecules. As snowflakes travel through the clouds, their shape and size change based on temperature and humidity, making each one unique.

The six-sided pattern of snowflakes fascinated mathematician Johannes Kepler in 1611, who theorized that the hexagon is the most efficient use of space, which was later proven correct. Despite their varied and intricate shapes, most snowflakes appear blob-like.

Snowflakes, like other naturally occurring patterns, such as shells and galaxies, exhibit radial symmetry, which is pleasing to the human brain. They appear white due to the scattering of light on their clear surfaces. Snowflakes are a microcosm of the laws of physics, reflecting gravity, electromagnetism, and symmetry, much like stars, planets, and humans. Each snowflake’s journey shapes its unique structure, similar to how life experiences shape individuals.

Vocabulary:

• Intricate: Very detailed and complex.

• Vapour: A substance diffused or suspended in the air, especially one normally liquid or solid.

• Hexagonal: Having six sides and six angles.

• Symmetry: The quality of being made up of exactly similar parts facing each other or around an axis.

• Radially: Extending or arranged like rays or the radii of a circle.

Source: BBC Ideas

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