Science Smarts: The science of snowflakes

By Patty Rooks on December 31, 2022.

I have enjoyed the little bursts of snow we have had over the past week. When I went for a walk earlier, it was absolutely beautiful outside – there was no wind and the snow was gently falling on me. As I looked down on my coat sleeve there was the most beautiful snowflake. I quickly went inside, but it melted before anyone could see it… the detail was amazing. This made me wonder if all snowflakes look like this? Let’s get started!

* Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment.

Materials

• Black construction paper

• Magnifying glass

• Snow

• Small ruler

• Warm clothes for outside

Procedure

1. Place the construction paper in the freezer overnight. This step is important as the paper must be very cold so the snow does not melt once it touches it.

2. The next day, dress warmly, take your paper out of the freezer, grab your magnifying glass and ruler and quickly and go outside. It is best to go outside on a day when it is snowing, but as long as there is some snow outside, it will be fine.

3. If it is snowing, allow the snowflakes to fall onto the sheet of paper. If you have to find snow, find some fluffy, powdery snow. Toss it in the air and allow it to gently fall on your construction paper.

4. Observe the snow with the magnifying glass. What do you see?

5. Measure the snowflakes; are they all the same size?

Explanation

Snowflakes come in a variety of shapes and sizes. I am told that there are no two snowflakes that are exactly the same. Snowflakes can differ in their size, structure and even surface markings. If is hard to see these parts of a snowflake with just a magnifying glass, but there are very powerful microscopes in Laboratories that have shown us this.

The different snow crystal structures result from the weather conditions when the snow is falling. The temperature and even the moisture level in the clouds near the earth’s surface can all contribute to a difference in the snowflake. Some of the more common types of snow or ice crystals structures are needle like.

These types of crystals usually form a stiff snow. Column crystals are formed when there is very little moisture in the air. Plate crystals are formed when the temperature drops down to -10 or – 20 degrees Celsius. There are also dendrite crystal structures that can form. This type of crystal usually looks like a fern branch. Try to see if you can identify the crystal structure of your snowflake.

Teachers – if your school is interested in having a science fair club, make sure you call soon so I can pop by and give you some great pointers!

Patty Rooks, Senior Scientific Consultant PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community”. Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, http://www.praxismh.ca, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook. Address: #12 826 11 Street S. E., Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1A 1T7 Phone: 403.527.5365, email: praxis@praxismh.ca

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