Thermal Physics> snow-balls...

what are snowballs and how are they formed?( i know they are formed due to regelation but please explain it)

indrayani bargaje , 13 Years ago

Grade 10

2 Answers

SAGAR SINGH - IIT DELHI

Last Activity: 13 Years ago

Dear student,

A snowball is a spherical object made from snow, usually created by scooping snow with the hands, and compacting it into a roughly fist-sized ball.

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Sagar Singh

B.Tech, IIT Delhi

Kabeer Kumar

Last Activity: 5 Years ago

Dear Indrayani,

Regelation is the phenomenon of melting of ice under pressure, and refreezing of water into ice,when the pressure is reduced. Now, this also inludes the fact that Water is the only thing known, which is denser in liquid state than in its solid state! So when one compresses the snow with his fist(applies pressure on the snow), the loosely bound snowflakes melt into water, which is denser so takes less space, i.e. water fits in the compact space in the fist. When the pressure on it, is released, it refreezes and now becomes ice/snow-ball. Thus, this phenonmenon is explained by REGELATION.

Hope it helps...

Kabeer Kumar

Future Scientist/Physicist.