A Wonderleaf question
Why is frost sparkly?
a real page from the book
Frost sparkles because it grows as many tiny ice crystals with smooth, flat sides. When light lands on those angled surfaces, some of it bounces straight toward your eyes, so the frost flashes as you move or as the sun shifts.
The special bit is that frost often forms straight from water vapor in cold air, without becoming a raindrop first. That slow building lets neat crystal faces grow, which is why a frosty leaf can glitter more than a cloudy ice cube.
Wonder words
- crystals
- vapor
- surface
- reflection
Try it out
On a cold morning, crouch beside frosty grass and slowly move your head to watch which points brighten and fade.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
Open the picture bookKeep wondering
- Why do mountains change the weather?
- Why is the sky sometimes gray?
- Why do clouds change shape?
- How do meteorologists predict the weather?
- Why does the air smell different after rain?
- Why is fog close to the ground?
And the next question?
Ask anything — Wonderleaf writes and illustrates a picture book for it. That's the whole idea.
Ask your own question