Snowflakes
Youve probably heard that no two snowflakes are alike.Of course,nobody has ever confirmed that statement by examining every one of the estimated one septillion snowflakes that drift to Earth each year.still,Kenneth Libbrecht,a professor at the California Institute of Technology,is confident that the statement is true.
Snowflakes arent flaky,says Libbrecht.At their basic level,theyre crystalline.The lattice of every snowflake is six-sided in shape.The simplest snow crystals are six-sided flat plates and six-sided columns.Such crystals are common in places where the air is extremely cold and dry.Snow crystals acquire their special beauty when their simple six-sided symmetry blossoms.Under the right conditions,each of the six corners of a crystal sprouts what is called an arm.In a matter of minutes,the arms can become highly ornate and give the crystal a star like appearance.
Several factors in the environment affect the shape and growth rate of a snow crystal.One factor is humidity.Crystals grow faster and in more intricate shape as humidity increases.A second factor is air temperature.A snowflake is born when several molecules of water vapor in a could land on a speck of dust and freeze to form a simple crystal.As the young crystal bops around in the cloud,it passes through air pockets of varying temperatures.If the crystal passes through a pocket of air that is,says,15 degrees Celsius,it will grow quickly and sprout six arms,says Libbrecht.If the crystal is then tossed into a warmer pocket,one about-10℃,the arms tips will stop growing quickly and form six-side plates.If the crystal then drifts into an even warmer pocket of about -℃,its top and bottom will grow more quickly than its sides and become more column like in shape.
In the course of its life span,a snow-crystal might flutter through many warmer and colder pockets,acquiring a complicated and unique growth history.Such a history will give rise to a snowflake that is unlike any other.Each arm on the snowflake will look exactly like every other one,but the crystal itself will be one of a kind.
Using his cooling tanks,Libbrecht has learned how to create snow crystals of different shapesplates,colhuns,needles etc.Libbrecht has even refined his techniques so that he can make crystals that look highly similar to one another.Still,he lacks the control to manufacture identical twin snowflakes.A slight difference in humidity and temperature can upset the growth profile of a crystal.
听力备考大学英语四级听力必考的60个习语详解1
高分技巧英语四级考试提高听力的五大方法
2013年6月四级听力模拟练习之5
2013年6月大学英语四级考试听力预测试题8
2010年6月大学英语四级听力考试模拟试题14
2013年大学英语四级考试巅峰听力第四期
名师支招英语四级听力考试备考宝典
2013年6月大学英语四级考试听力预测试题4
2013年6月大学英语四级听力考试模拟试题13
2013年6月大学英语四级考试听力的葵花宝典
英语四级考试听力历年常考句型汇总
2013年6月大学英语四级听力考试模拟试题10
2013年6月大学英语四级考试听力预测试题9
2013年6月大学英语四级考试听力预测试题18
2013年大学英语四级考试巅峰听力第七期
2013年6月大学英语四级考试听力预测试题7
2013年6月大学英语四级考试听力预测试题10
2013年6月英语新四级考试听力的长对话应试策略
解析历年英语四级考试听力短文题材
2013年四级短文听力攻略命题特点和应试技巧
英语四级听力的短文十大主题
2013年6月大学英语四级考试听力预测试题19
2013年6月大学英语四级考试听力预测试题6
2013年6月大学英语四级考试听力预测试题20
名师考前冲刺指导英语四级听力的完美训练方案
2013年6月大学英语四级考试听力预测试题1
2013年大学英语四级考试巅峰听力第八期
2013年6月大学英语四级考试听力预测试题15
2013年6月大学英语四级考试听力预测试题14
2013年6月英语四级的短文听力攻略材料篇
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |