Friday, February 5, 2010
Snow
As I sit through what happens to be the most active winter we've had in years, staring out the window into the winter wonderland beyond, I can't help but think. Did Han Solo shoot first? Did Hitler have a problem? Is Shrug still alive? I believe these questions do not deserve an answer, so I push them from my mind as quickly as a snowflake melts on the tongue.
Ah, schnow! Every child's wintry dream. There has never been a Christmas special that did not have snow, nor has there ever been an Alaskan winter that didn't have snow. Coincidence? I think not. Snow's that wonderful first child in a family. It gets all the attention.
I mean, look at the bastard. He's perfect.
But what is snow, you ask? ...Well, between you and me, Alex is going to have a shitfit when s/he (ha) discovers I've brought science into this blog. But I'll tell you anyway. According to the almighty Wikipedia, snow likes to form in conditions that favor supercooled water vapor. "Supercooled" has nothing to do with shades and a leather jacket, but with how gasses and liquids are able to drop below their freezing points without, well, freezing over. I'll show you some cool experiments to do with this one later on.
Anyway, when two supercooled molecules interact, it's like they're bitch-slapped into realizing that, "Hey, ain't I supposed to be frozen?" So then a chain reaction occurs where the molecules in a droplet begins freeze over. Also, you know how when water freezes, it expands? That's because of weak hydrogen forces that bond each molecule together. It's kinda like if you throw a bunch of magnets into a box, they tend to find comfort zones that minimizes repulsive forces and maximizes attractive forces. In a loose way it's responsible for the purdy shapes in snowflakes that you see. Other factors include temperature, level of debris, and so on.
Now please don't quote me on this, since chemistry was one of my worst subjects in school (astronomy, the best). Instead I suggest you read more about the topic here or here. Oh, and if you want to waste time creating snowflakes online, go to this OLD! place. I forgot that tool even existed.
-Jen
Ah, schnow! Every child's wintry dream. There has never been a Christmas special that did not have snow, nor has there ever been an Alaskan winter that didn't have snow. Coincidence? I think not. Snow's that wonderful first child in a family. It gets all the attention.
I mean, look at the bastard. He's perfect.
But what is snow, you ask? ...Well, between you and me, Alex is going to have a shitfit when s/he (ha) discovers I've brought science into this blog. But I'll tell you anyway. According to the almighty Wikipedia, snow likes to form in conditions that favor supercooled water vapor. "Supercooled" has nothing to do with shades and a leather jacket, but with how gasses and liquids are able to drop below their freezing points without, well, freezing over. I'll show you some cool experiments to do with this one later on.
Anyway, when two supercooled molecules interact, it's like they're bitch-slapped into realizing that, "Hey, ain't I supposed to be frozen?" So then a chain reaction occurs where the molecules in a droplet begins freeze over. Also, you know how when water freezes, it expands? That's because of weak hydrogen forces that bond each molecule together. It's kinda like if you throw a bunch of magnets into a box, they tend to find comfort zones that minimizes repulsive forces and maximizes attractive forces. In a loose way it's responsible for the purdy shapes in snowflakes that you see. Other factors include temperature, level of debris, and so on.
Now please don't quote me on this, since chemistry was one of my worst subjects in school (astronomy, the best). Instead I suggest you read more about the topic here or here. Oh, and if you want to waste time creating snowflakes online, go to this OLD! place. I forgot that tool even existed.
-Jen
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3 comments:
Science, Jen? SCIENCE?? WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT BRINGING SCIENCE ONTO THIS BLOG.
When we made this blog, we agreed on CERTAIN RULES, and the MOST IMPORTANT ONE was "No Nicolas Cage." I'll admit, you have yet to violate that one, but in it's stead you have violated ANOTHER OF OUR CARDINAL TRUTHS.
NO HUMORLESS POSTS.
You should be ashamed. Take your science to the back of the bus, it doesn't belong here.
SCREW YOU, MAN. I POST WHAT I WANT.
Love,
Jen
YOU WILL POST WHAT I TELL YOU, OR YOU'RE FIRED.
I MADE YOU. I CAN JUST AS EASILY TAKE YOU DOWN.
Handsomely,
Alex
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