Why is snow white?
Snow looks white because it bounces back all the colors of sunlight together!
Pip’s answer
- Snow looks white because it bounces back all the colors of sunlight together!
- Snow is made of lots of tiny, clear ice crystals.
- Light bounces from crystal to crystal, every which way, and mixes into white.
- Ooh, each tiny bit of ice is clear, but piles of them look white!
For grown-ups
Individual ice crystals are clear. But snow is made of countless crystals with many surfaces, which scatter and reflect all colors of light about equally. When all colors reach our eyes together, we see white. Deep, dense snow can sometimes look slightly blue.
Ask your child: What other things look white because they're made of tiny clear pieces?
More questions kids ask
- 🌨️Why does it snow?
- 🌨️Why are snowflakes shaped like stars?
- 🌤️Why is the sky blue?
- 🌅Why are sunsets orange?
- 🌈Why are there rainbows?
- ❄️Why is it cold in winter?
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