Snøkrystaller

Snøkrystaller, more commonly known as snowflakes, are individual ice crystals that form in the atmosphere and fall to the ground as snow. They are a fascinating example of natural geometry, with each snowflake possessing a unique six-sided structure. The intricate patterns of a snowflake are a direct result of the temperature and humidity conditions under which it forms.

The hexagonal shape of a snowflake is a fundamental property of ice. Water molecules, when frozen, arrange themselves into a lattice structure that inherently favors six-fold symmetry. As a snowflake grows in a cloud, water vapor molecules attach to the ice crystal. The specific path this crystal takes through varying temperature and humidity zones dictates how these vapor molecules freeze onto its surface, leading to the diverse and complex branching patterns observed.

While often depicted as perfectly symmetrical, real snowflakes rarely achieve absolute perfection. The slightest variations in atmospheric conditions during their descent can cause deviations from perfect symmetry. Despite their individual uniqueness, all snowflakes are fundamentally built from the same hexagonal ice crystal structure. Their beauty lies not only in their delicate forms but also in the physical processes that create them.