Winter gives the inhabitants of the snowy regions a beautiful fairy tale in the form of powdered trees, sparkling in the bright sun, shimmering paths and feelings of childish joy floating in the air. But this poet’s dream would not have been possible without such a natural phenomenon as hoarfrost. What is the state of water? We will tell below.
Meaning of the word “hoarfrost”
Analyzing the basics of natural processes, a minimum knowledge of elementary values is required. First of all, you need to deal with the lexical meaning of the word in the dictionary. So, hoarfrost is frozen evaporation, damp, floating in the air. A phenomenon that occurs after a blow of severe frost.
From warm breathing, frost can form on the collar of clothing, hair and beard. With these words, Dahl's explanatory dictionary describes a natural miracle. If we consider the meaning of the expression from the point of view of the physical properties of the substance, we can find out that hoarfrost is a vaporous state of water mass. Formed when the temperature reaches below zero degrees Celsius. At this time, water is transformed into crystalline ice. Like snowflakes, frost particles cannot have the same shape. Each compound of molecules is individual.
The effect of temperature on the structure of hoarfrost
Having mastered the meaning of the word “hoarfrost”, we can proceed to the next stage - an explanation of the phenomenon itself. If the temperature is the same on the street, hoarfrost crystals will never have the same shape. At temperatures below zero by several degrees, the crystal structure takes on a hexagonal shape. Moderate frost builds new geometric shapes - frost particles turn into rectangular ice floes. Severe colds cause water to turn into prickly needles.
Frost formation
Any natural phenomenon has a physical justification. For example, when the surface of an object is cooled to a temperature below ambient air, the object is covered with hoarfrost. This process is explained by the occurrence of the desublimation of vapor particles with its gradual transition to a solid state. It is worth noting that the action proceeds without the formation of a liquid body, in other words, bypassing it. The uneven layer has a different density and is distinguished by the thinness of the coating.
What natural processes contribute to the emergence of frost
For a long time, inquiring minds experimentally calculated the influence of nature on the formation of a layer of hoarfrost. It was concluded that the most favorable weather for the occurrence of ice crystals is clear and calm. Light gusts of air masses only contribute to the acceleration of the process, thus the renewal of moist air vapor occurs.
Typically, this manifestation of natural activity can be observed on cool spring nights, late autumn, and also during the winter reign. It is during these time periods that water vapors soar above the earth’s surface, which are safely transformed into picturesque particles of hoarfrost. It is noticed that a layer of hoarfrost occurs mainly on rough surfaces, unable to warm up: open areas of land, benches made of wood, branches, roofs of buildings, dry grass. The cooling of the steam leads to the fact that the whole earth is decorated with silver crystals.
Also, frost can form in the home refrigerator when moisture enters the chamber and the water inside it evaporates. In order for the device to work properly, it is necessary to periodically defrost it.
Frosty painting on the windows
In winter, every person notices beautiful patterns on glass windows. This process is justified by the formation of condensate on the window structure. If you observe the direction of the picture, you can notice a variety of strokes. The reason for the appearance of always different masterpieces on the window pane is the unevenness of the surface. Arising with a decrease in temperature, the crystals collide with each other, turning into a chaotic lace fabric.
Trichitis and dendrites
There are two main types of patterns that frost paints on glass. Trichitis resemble fibrous material. They are created on glass with a lot of small scratches. Dendrites look like trees with carefully drawn branches and resemble the real picture.
The difference between frost and hoarfrost
When people see trees shimmering with beautiful snowflakes, they conclude that there is frost in front of them. But it is not so. Despite the apparent similarity, scientists clearly distinguish between such concepts as “hoarfrost” and “hoarfrost”. And all because the second phenomenon appears only when there is a temperature below fifteen degrees Celsius. One of the important conditions is the formation of fog. Rime has the ability to cover only thin objects: branches of bushes and trees, wires and hedges. Thus, hoarfrost is crystals on the trunks of plantations, and chic snow-white decoration is frost.