What is the main difference between rain and snow?
ARain comes from clouds, but snow comes from the ground
BRain is water and snow is not water
CRain falls when the air is warm enough for liquid water; snow falls when the air is cold enough for water to freeze into ice crystals
DRain is heavier than snow, which is why rain falls faster
Both rain and snow come from water in clouds. The difference is temperature. When the air between the cloud and the ground is warm, the water falls as liquid rain. When the air is cold enough, the water freezes into ice crystals and falls as snow. Snow IS water -- just in its frozen form.
Question 2 True / False
Snow is made of tiny ice crystals that form from water in clouds.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: True
Snow forms when water vapor in clouds freezes into tiny ice crystals. These crystals stick together as they fall, creating snowflakes. When snow melts, it turns right back into liquid water, proving that snow is just water in a different form.
Question 3 Short Answer
What happens to snow after it falls on the ground and the weather gets warmer?
Think about your answer, then reveal below.
Model answer: When the temperature warms up, the snow melts and turns back into liquid water. The water soaks into the ground or flows into streams and rivers. This is why snowy areas often have lots of water flowing in the spring when the snow melts.
Understanding that snow melts back into water is an important early step toward grasping the water cycle and the idea that water changes form between solid, liquid, and gas.