What is frost?
So what is frost and its main signs? Frost is a type of solid precipitation. In essence, it is small ice crystals that appear on a rapidly freezing surface from water vapor contained in the air.
The main features of frost:
- The shape resembles an irregular snowflake.
- Most often occurs on flat and close to horizontal surfaces.
- It envelops the object with a thin layer: the thickness of the crystal does not exceed 2 mm.
- It freezes from the bottom up.
How frost is formed
There is always water vapor in the air. When the temperature starts to drop, the air cannot hold this vapor. In the summer, it settles in the form of dew, and in the winter, frost appears.
The algorithm for its formation is simple. Water vapor molecules from a gaseous state turn into a layer of ice, bypassing the liquid state. This process is called desublimation.
Why are ice crystals visible not in the air, but on objects? This is because frost can form only on a surface whose temperature is lower than the temperature of the air itself. For example, on the ground, grass, glass. All these surfaces do not retain heat well, therefore they are colder than air. And frost forms best on objects with low thermal conductivity. Mainly on uneven, rough surfaces, to which ice crystals can better adhere.
The speed of frost formation always depends on the wind. Because frost forms only with weak wind or in its absence. Therefore, frost can be seen on a clear, windless night or early in the morning. As a rule, in late autumn or winter, early spring, when there is a lot of water vapor in the air.
What is frost and where can it be seen
Specific conditions – air humidity, temperature difference, wind direction, surface shape – are not the same. Therefore, frost can be different.
Frosty pattern on windows
When the air in the room is humid, and the temperature outside is below 0C, the water vapor, bypassing the liquid state, immediately turns into ice crystals, which form patterns of various shapes on the window. The size and shape depend on the humidity in the room, air temperature, glass thickness, glass surface temperature and wind flow.
Frost comes in different colors: white, blue, cyan, pink, yellow and brown. The color is associated with the purity of the air. The higher the level of pollution, the more bizarre the color will be.
Frost plays an important role in the water cycle in nature. Evaporating under the influence of heat, it ends up in the clouds, from where it returns to the earth in the form of precipitation. Melting, it falls into the soil, where it nourishes the vegetation with moisture or goes with groundwater to the World Ocean.
Frost never looks the same. The appearance of the crystals is affected by the air temperature. So, at a temperature below 0C, they will be hexagonal prisms, at -15C – rectangular plates, and at a lower temperature – blunt needles.
Frost can be made at home. To do this, you will need: pieces of ice, salt and a can. The ice must be crushed and placed on the bottom of the can. Add a layer of salt. Then – a layer of crushed ice and salt again. So several layers. After a couple of minutes you will see how the water vapor contained in the air will begin to cover the can outside with ice crystals. This will be frost.
Joke of the day from the site funster.top:
In the morning, a man leaves the house, looks at the car, and it is covered in frost. He turns to his wife:
— Listen, who is Iney?
— What are you talking about?
— Well, considering everything, he crawled around in our car all night! 😄