
Snowflakes Under an Electron Microscope - shawndumas
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/12/snowflakes-by-microscope/
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__mlm__
I would love to read a technical discussion about the structure of these
snowflakes. There seems to be something about hexagonal shapes that mother
nature likes. You see them in several of the images. These images are stunning
(to me anyway)!

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maeon3
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.

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__mlm__
very interesting ... thanks for the explanation.

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viraptor
All on one page:

[http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/12/snowflakes-by-
micr...](http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/12/snowflakes-by-
microscope/?pid=831&viewall=true)

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username3
Trick for viewing the 3-D snowflakes:

Close your right eye, cover the left image with your left hand.

Close your left eye, cover the right image with your right hand.

Cross eyes.

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pontifier
The 3D snowflakes are fantastic! there are more here:

<http://emu.arsusda.gov/snowsite/stereo/stereo.html>

