ADVERTISEMENT
2 /3 FREE ARTICLES LEFT THIS MONTH Remaining
Chemistry matters. Join us to get the news you need.
SEE MY OPTIONS or Log In
GET MORE

This site uses cookies to enhance your user experience. By continuing to use this site you are agreeing to our COOKIE POLICY.

ACCEPT AND CLOSE

If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)

ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.

50% off your first year of ACS membership = 100% yield

Already an ACS Member?  

Membership categories

Choose the membership that is right for you. Discounts will be applied automatically at checkout.

Regular or Affiliate Member
$175
$88
JOIN NOW
Graduate Student Member
$87
$44
JOIN NOW
Undergraduate Student Member
$60
$30
JOIN NOW

Benefits

Enjoy these benefits no matter which membership you pick.

 

  • Unlimited access to C&EN, including a subscription to our award-winning weekly print magazine
  • Discounts on ACS meetings, events and courses
  • Expand your research with complimentary SciFinder searches
  • Discounts on ACS journals
  • Receive exclusive career insights and data from industry experts

Thank you!

Your account has been created successfully, and a confirmation email is on the way.

Your username is now your ACS ID.

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCES TO C&EN

Atmospheric Chemistry

Periodic Graphics: The chemistry of snow and ice

Chemical educator and Compound Interest blogger Andy Brunning explores water’s unique behavior when temperatures plummet

by Andy Brunning
January 26, 2020 | APPEARED IN VOLUME 98, ISSUE 4
ADVERTISEMENT

Most Popular in Environment

 

 
 

To download a PDF of this article, visit: cenm.ag/snowice

References used to create this graphic:

Brunning, Andy. “The Shapes of Snowflakes.” Compound Interest, Dec. 10, 2014.

Conners, Deanna. “How Snowflakes Get Their Shapes.” EarthSky, Jan. 28, 2019.

Lemonick, Sam. “Scientists Find the Smallest Number of Water Molecules That Can Form Ice.” Chemical & Engineering News, Nov. 7, 2019.

McNeill, V. Faye, and Meredith G. Hastings. “Ice in the Environment: Connections to Atmospheric Chemistry.” Environ. Res. Lett. (2008). DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/3/4/045004.

A collaboration between C&EN and Andy Brunning, author of the popular graphics blog Compound Interest

To see more of Brunning’s work, go to compoundchem.com. To see all of C&EN’s Periodic Graphics, visit cenm.ag/periodicgraphics.

 

Correction

This graphic was updated on Feb. 11, 2020, to clarify the plot of density versus temperature for water and ice. Originally, the plot depicted density versus temperature for liquid water at all temperatures. To better match the text in the graphic, the plot has been updated to depict density versus temperature for liquid water above 0 °C and for ice below 0 °C.

This graphic's references were updated also on Feb. 11, 2020, to add in missing entries and correct the spelling of Deanna Conners's name.

Chemical & Engineering News
ISSN 0009-2347
Copyright © 2020 American Chemical Society

You might also like...

Serving the chemical, life science, and laboratory worlds
Agriculture
Periodic Graphics: The elements of fertilizers
Serving the chemical, life science, and laboratory worlds
Food Science
Periodic Graphics: Cannabidiol, medicine from hemp
Serving the chemical, life science, and laboratory worlds
Energy Storage
Periodic Graphics: Metal-air batteries, present and future
X

Article:

This article has been sent to the following recipient:

Comments
Peter Wood (January 29, 2020 4:13 AM)
I do enjoy these graphics, they are excellent. However, something looks wrong with the 'Ice and Density' plot. Firstly, the gradient of the plot is steeper below zero (ice) than above zero (liquid water) which surprises me - however, a quick Google points to a Wikipedia page on ice which sees to support this (in mentioning that ice gets les dense as the temperature is lowered). I do appreciate that H2O is 'special' and that ice is a high-temperature solid. Secondly, the plot does not show the 8-9% volume change on freezing (the 'iceberg effect') so is this a plot of the density of liquid water (not ice) showing the density of supercooled water at temperatures below 0 Celsius?
Andy Brunning (January 30, 2020 4:51 PM)
Hi Peter,

Thanks for your comment. You're right that the graph shows the density of water at all of the temperatures shown. In retrospect, I can see how the inclusion of the ice cubes in the graphic is a bit deceptive here, as it implies that it also shows the density of ice.

As you say, the volume change on freezing means that the density of ice would be approximately 0.92 grams per centimetre cubed at 0˚C. I'll see if we can change the plot to make it more accurate.

Leave A Comment

*Required to comment