Chapter U3.51, Problem 3E

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation : Difference between snow and ice is to be explained.

Concept Introduction : Mountains get several feet of snow every winter and this snow melts and reaches the reservoir. Much of the country depends on snowfall for the year’s water supply. Many lakes freeze and form ice sheets in winter.

Answer to Problem 3E

Differences between snow and ice can be tabulated as below.

	Snow	Ice
1	It has wide range of densities from 0.1 to 0.5 g/ mL	It has a density of 0.92g/mL
2	It is fluffy or packed	It is solid
3	It is formed in pieces	It is formed in bulk
4	It is frozen water vapor	It is frozen liquid water
5	Its formation is natural	It can be made artificially in refrigerators

Explanation of Solution

Both snow and ice are forms of water. Snow is fluffy or packed but ice is solid. Snow has a wide range of densities from 0.1 to 0.5 g/ mL whereas ice has a density of 0.92g/mL. Density of snow is less than density of water. When water freezes it forms ice. Large water bodies freeze to form bulks of ice. Snow is formed in pieces but ice is formed in bulk. Snow is formed when water vaporizes and then freezes in the atmosphere during the cold winter season but ice is formed on the ground when liquid water freezes. Snow is simply frozen water vapor whereas ice is frozen liquid water.

Snow formation is natural whereas ice can be made artificially in refrigerators.

Conclusion

Snow and ice are both made from water but both have different densities. They are different in the way they are formed in nature.