SNOWFLAKES

JESSICA XI-D/11 & JOANNA XI-D/12

 The Main Ideas

TABLE OF CONTENTS
01 Definition 02 Did You Know? 03 Formation

Science Behind
04 Appearance 05 06 Types
Snowflakes
DEFINITION
noun - PIECE OF SNOW
a small piece of snow that falls from the sky.
Snowflakes are typically known for its six-sided
shape and are one of the most recognizable
symbols of winter weather or Christmas.

a flake of snow, especially a feathery ice crystal,

typically displaying delicate sixfold symmetry.
(Oxford)
Did you know??
No two snowflakes are
identical or alike.

Their colour isn’t actually

white!

Now you know!

 Color
Appearance White ❎️ Translucent ✅️
↳ Light passes through ice but not directly

Many sides of snowflakes → Light scatters in

many directions → Diffuse reflection of the whole
spectrum of light → Snowflakes appear white

Shape
↳ Altitude, humidity, temperature
Arrangement of water molecules (H2O)

→
hexagonal structure
Less than 0.1% exhibit ideal symmetry
→
Cold clouds complex dendrite snowflakes
with branch-like structures
→
Warmer conditions smoother snowflakes
 Formation; a process

Birth of a snowflake
Snow is a lot more than just a frozen water drop that falls from
the sky. A snowflake differs from other ice crystals due to the
fact it forms inside a cloud and grows slowly.

Water vapor travels through the air and condenses (change

from a gas to solid) on a particle. Then, slowly forms and
grows into an ice crystal in two basic ways known as facets
(prisms) and plates or dendrites.
Formation; in the cloud

Ice crystals condense around a tiny particle.

Condensing water forms a prism with facets.

Branching begins, depending on conditions (number or air molecules)

Facets form on branches, depending on conditions

And so on until temperature is right to fall.

 Formation; Explained

01 Water evaporates into water vapor

02 Water molecules condense onto dust particles

Droplets freeze and locks the water molecules into

03 04 Molecules stick onto the white (smooth) area.
place hexagonal crystal (a water molecules
peculirarites).
molecule is bent; hydrogen bond The rough areas keep on getting filled
05 which creates the iconic six radial branches
of a snowflakes.
 FORMS
Stellar Dendrites Sectored Plate

Multi-branched snowflakes with six main Thin, flat ice crystals with ridges dividing them
branches and numerous side branches, forming into sectors, leading to diverse complex shapes.
symmetrical shapes around 5mm in diameter.
Each is a single crystal of ice.
 FORMS
Hollow Columns Needles Spatial Dendrites

Hexagonal columnar crystals Long, thin columnar crystals Snowflakes made of jumbled ice
resembling wooden pencils, often with resembling ice needles, sometimes with crystals with random branch
conical hollow ends. hollow regions or branching at the orientations.
ends.
 FORMS
Capped Columns Irregulars

Initially columnar crystals that transition to plate- Misshapen, broken, or poorly formed snowflakes
like growth due to temperature changes. resulting from turbulent cloud conditions, often
associated with warm snowfalls and strong
winds.
 History our company

Fun Facts!
Approximately 1 Each snowflake is
Mars has
septillion (10x10^23) composed of about
snowflakes too (out
snowflakes fall from 200 tiny snow
of carbon dioxide).
the sky. crystals.

Can sometimes
Travel very slowly, Holds most of the
appear PINKISH as
approximately 5 km fresh water on
red algae grow on
per hour. Earth.
snowflakes.

Now you know!

SOURCE
https://abc13.com/snowflakes-all-different-what-color-is-snow-forecast-
weather/1600701/#:~:text=Snowflakes%20are%20not%20at%20all,color%2
0comes%20back%20as%20white.
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/types-of-
weather/snow/snowflake#:~:text=What%20makes%20snowflakes%20white
%3F,passes%20through%20but%20not%20directly.
https://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/class/class-
old.htm#:~:text=A%20hexagonal%20prism%20is%20the,)%2C%20or%20an
ything%20in%20between.
https://www.thoughtco.com/science-of-snowflakes-3444191
Thank
You!