• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Universe / How Do Scientists Study Snowflakes?

How Do Scientists Study Snowflakes?

June 5, 2020 by Karen Hill

You probably have seen pictures of snowflakes, and heard that no two flakes are the same.

Have you ever wondered how scientists examine snowflakes? After all, most flakes are only a fraction of an inch across, and melt as soon as a person touches them.

Since 1940, scientists have had a clever way to study the structure of snowflakes, even if they can’t always study the flakes themselves. They spread a chemical compound over a glass plate and let a snowflake land there.

The compound immediately covers the flake and hardens. When the flake melts, it leaves behind a plastic case that shows its exact structure!

Related Facts

  • Top 25 Inventions That Changed Our Lives Forever
  • Do All Snowflakes Really Look Alike?
  • Why Does It Get Warmer When It Starts to Snow?
  • Who Invented Corn Flakes?
  • What Makes a Snowball Hold Together?
  • Top 25 Inventions That Changed the World

Filed Under: Universe

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « What Was the Heaviest Snowfall on Record?
Next Post: Are All Heavy Snowstorms Called Blizzards? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy