2006-08-15 06:10:15 · 10 answers · asked by fire and water 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Ice is a single water crystal and it let's light through (it's transparent more or less). Snow is made up from very many small water crystals called snowflakes, therefore it isn't transparent anymore and it reflects light.
2006-08-15 06:24:29 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all you need to know why anything is white. White is the color we see when all the visible light from the sun is reflected. That is no wavelength of visible light are absorbed.
A sheet of ice or water can look white at certain angles -- this is because some of the light is reflected that hits the surface. However, usually we are not at that specific angle to make the ice look white and we see it as clear (the majority of the light has penetrated through the ice). With snowflakes you have a large number of surfaces to reflect the light. Because the crystals in the snowflake are at so many different angles, the snowflake looks white from all angles to us.
2006-08-15 15:10:24 · answer #2 · answered by The Q 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The answers so far are close but not exactly right. It isnt because of air that the snowflakes are white, it is because there are so many million snowflakes in snow that light that hts snow gets reflected at hundreds of angles as it hits the snowflakes at many different angles. If you could lineup snowflakes perfectly on top of each other they would be clear, or if you look up a snowflake in a microscope. it is still clear.
2006-08-15 13:38:42 · answer #3 · answered by abcdefghijk 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only reason why snow isn't transparent like ice, ist beacuse it has a larger surface, and its "fluffier". The sun reflects off it differently than off ice and so it looks white to us.
2006-08-15 13:20:39 · answer #4 · answered by Lizzy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ice is frozen water. Period. Snow is made of very small ice crystals that are linked together, but there is air in between the crystals. It is the air that makes the snow look white. If you crack ice, air gets into it, and the cracks appear white.
2006-08-15 13:17:32 · answer #5 · answered by old lady 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Snow and ice are completely different substances.
2006-08-15 16:10:00 · answer #6 · answered by xox_bass_player_xox 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What does ice transparent have to do with the seven dwarves?
TFTP
2006-08-15 13:17:32 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ice is crystalline in nature while snow is amorphous.
2006-08-15 13:23:25 · answer #8 · answered by ag_iitkgp 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
why is sky blue?
sorry i have no clue to your Q.
2006-08-15 13:16:43 · answer #9 · answered by ash 7 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they are colour less.
2006-08-15 13:44:26 · answer #10 · answered by Chikky D 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋