Science & Technology

Snowflakes do not all have unique shapes

By T.K. Randall
January 2, 2015 ·  8 comments

Snowflakes are not quite as unique as is commonly believed. Image Credit: PD - Stohrfall Snowflakes are often said to be unique, each forming its own distinct shape, yet the reality of the matter is that there are only a finite number of possible crystal structures that can be found inside the frozen flecks that cascade down on us during the wintertime.

To help illustrate this fact, chemistry teacher Andy Brunning has created a detailed graphic showing all 39 possible forms of solid precipitation, 35 of which being snow crystals or flakes."The study of crystal structures of solids has its own discipline, crystallography, which allows us to determine the arrangement of atoms in these solids," he wrote.


Image Credit: CC BY 4.0 Compound Interest ( click to enlarge )

Source: Smithsonian Magazine | Comments (8)

Tags: Snowflakes