Re:Snowflakes Under an Electron Microscope
by maeon3 on Thursday December 30, 2010 @10:39AM
(#2052423)
Snowflakes don't always form hexagonal shapes. Snowflakes are only hexagonal if formed in very high clouds at 32-35 degrees Fahrenheit.
Water molecules in the solid state, such as in ice and snow, form weak bonds (called hydrogen bonds) with one another. These ordered arrangements result in the symmetrical, hexagonal shape of the snowflake. During crystallization, the water molecules align themselves to maximize attractive forces and minimize repulsive forces. Consequently, water molecules arrange themselves in predetermined spaces and in a specific arrangement. Water molecules simply arrange themselves to fit the spaces and maintain symmetry.
Get some buckyballs, spherical rare earth magnets, you'll find hexagons are a very attractive place for them.
Water molecules in the solid state, such as in ice and snow, form weak bonds (called hydrogen bonds) with one another. These ordered arrangements result in the symmetrical, hexagonal shape of the snowflake. During crystallization, the water molecules align themselves to maximize attractive forces and minimize repulsive forces. Consequently, water molecules arrange themselves in predetermined spaces and in a specific arrangement. Water molecules simply arrange themselves to fit the spaces and maintain symmetry.
Get some buckyballs, spherical rare earth magnets, you'll find hexagons are a very attractive place for them.