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Snow Crystals and hexagonal symmetry

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ruveyn
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21 Dec 2011, 3:37 am

Have you ever wondered why snow crystals always exhibit hexagonal symmetry?

For an answer see: http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/publ ... _4_R03.pdf

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DuneyBlues
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21 Dec 2011, 10:05 am

The first thing I thought of was group theory.


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pete1061
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21 Dec 2011, 12:16 pm

Because the Hydrogen atoms in the water molecule have a 120 degree separation, so naturally, any crystal that would form from a molecule like that would be somewhat hexagonal.

What drives me nuts are christmas decorations that have 8 sided snowflakes, it's just plain impossible!


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ruveyn
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21 Dec 2011, 12:52 pm

DuneyBlues wrote:
The first thing I thought of was group theory.


Whenever the issue of symmetry comes up, so does group theory.

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Sunshine7
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22 Dec 2011, 12:31 pm

My girlfriend said that, as a group, we needed some closure (on a past incident).
So I bought her a ring.

(If you understood that, you may need to get out in the sun more often.)



ruveyn
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22 Dec 2011, 12:41 pm

Sunshine7 wrote:
My girlfriend said that, as a group, we needed some closure (on a past incident).
So I bought her a ring.

(If you understood that, you may need to get out in the sun more often.)


after which, you two commuted associatively.

That pun is far a field.

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