Is it true that every snowflake is unique?
by 
wickedwillie
ANSWERS: 5
-
A snowflake is generally considered a uniquely shaped piece of falling snow, a crystalline form of water ice. However, the concept that no two snowflakes are alike is incorrect: it is entirely possible, but unlikely, that a pair of snowflakes may be visually identical if their environments were similar enough, either because they grew very near one another, or simply by chance. The American Meteorological Society has reported that matching snow crystals were discovered by Nancy Knight of the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The crystals were not flakes in the usual sense but rather hollow hexagonal prisms. More about this on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow
-
Of the billions that fall in a good storm, it's a good bet that each is unique. For snowflakes to be identical, they would have to be born of the same particles, formed at the same altitude, pass through air of identical temperature and humidity, and bump the same number of crystals on the float to the ground. http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF14/1474.html
-
Yes. At the molecular level they're all different. To the eye they are the same and all have six sides. That snow joke :-)
-
Yes it's true they all look different.
-
No, one is, the rest are cloned.
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC