One of a Kind Snowflakes

610 Words3 Pages
Ken Libbrecht and his students at Caltech are focusing on a machine that creates all different snowflake structures. The machine is a vapor diffusion chamber and it creates “designer snowflakes.” He enjoys snow so much that he even has a favorite pattern: flat plates decorated with ice ridges. These ice ridges on the flake are called sectored plate crystals. Professor Libbrecht had a distinct curiosity about snowflakes and how they are formed. He discovered that there are exact measurements in instructing the formation of a snowflake. As Libbrecht studied the physics of snowflakes he grew quite interested in how to grow your own. He uses an insulated box called a vapor diffusion chamber which is cold on the bottom at -40° and the top at +40°. As water is placed at the top of the box the water vapor diffuses as it goes down through the box, this produces supersaturated air. This supersaturated air is what is used in the making of ice crystals. He started using this chamber in 1997. The first device was effortless; it used Plexiglas and Styrofoam to create whatever designs they desired. Libbrecht came to a conclusion that these snowflakes are identical to the ones that fall directly from the sky. He then discovered that a high voltage when growing an ice crystal and you can grow change the flake into many intricate designs. To include this voltage he placed wire from the bottom up and the ice crystals grew on the tips of the wire. When the voltage on the wires is turned off the ice crystals begin to grow plates on top of the wires to make flower like snow crystals. Libbrecht loves to make these snowflakes because he likes to know that he can recreate something from nature. He also likes the scientific motivation that he can make a phenomenon found in nature and understand it. In addition to recreating snowflakes he also examines the patterns that this machine creates

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