Snowflakes: The Science Behind the Magic

What is the likelihood of two snowflakes being perfectly identical?

• 1 in 1 million trillion

• 1 in 1 billion

• 1 in 1 trillion

• 1 in 1 million

Who studies the weather and estimates the likelihood of identical snowflakes?

• Biologists

• Meteorologists

• Chemists

• Physicists

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

How many different types of snowflakes are estimated to exist?

• 1 with 36 zeros

• 1 with 12 zeros

• 1 with 24 zeros

• 1 with 48 zeros

What causes water vapor to freeze on a tiny dust particle?

• Cold temperatures

• Hot temperatures

• Wind

• Sunlight

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-4

Snowflakes are formed when water droplets attach to already formed ice crystals resulting in even larger ice crystals.

• True

• False

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-4

NGSS.MS-PS3-4

Although all snowflakes are six-sided, what determines the size and shape of the ice crystal?

• Temperature and moisture

• Wind and sunlight

• Pressure and humidity

• Altitude and pressure

Fill in the blank: There are an estimated 1 with 36 ________ different types of snowflakes.

• Zeros

• Ones

• Twos

• Threes

Fill in the blank: In order for snowflakes to form, three things must be present: water vapor, dust, and ________.

• Ice crystals

• Sand

• Salt

• Snow

Fill in the blank: When cold temperatures cause water vapor to freeze on a tiny dust particle, ________ are formed in our atmosphere.

• Ice crystals

• Snowflakes

• Raindrops

• Hailstones

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-4

NGSS.MS-PS3-4

Fill in the blank: Snow as we know it is formed when water droplets from clouds attach to the already formed ________.

• Ice crystals

• Snowflakes

• Raindrops

• Hailstones

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4