Max's Snowflake Lab

What you'll learn

• A crystal grows by adding water to its outside, one thin layer at a time.
• Water molecules are bent, so they lock together in hexagons — six sides, six arms.
• Colder, damper air grows feathery stars; warmer air grows flat plates.
• All six arms match because they grew together in the same air at the same moment.
• Two snowflakes differ because they took different trips through the cloud.

How to play

1. Pick a temperature and a dampness, then press Grow.
2. Move the temperature slider while it is still growing and watch the arms change.
3. Try the Round trip button to see what a real falling snowflake goes through.
4. Keep your favourites in My Flakes and grow a twin to compare.

FAQ

Why do snowflakes have six sides?

A water molecule is bent, like a wide V. When water freezes, those Vs link into a six-sided ring, and the whole crystal copies that ring outward.

Is it true that no two snowflakes are alike?

For big detailed ones, yes — a crystal has millions of molecules and each one takes its own path through the cloud. Tiny simple ones can look identical.

Is this simulating real ice?

Not molecule by molecule. It uses a simple growing-pattern rule, tuned so the shapes it makes match what real snow does at each temperature.