It might be pretty darn cold where you are right now. But thanks to the freezing cold, amazing ice shapes can grow, including these “frost flowers” that University of Washington professor Jody Deming and her student Jeff Bowman found. Just as frozen water sticks together to make lacy snowflakes, water droplets can pile up on floating ice to make these spiky shapes. We just hope the photographers like the cold — as we see here, they stood in that water to take the pictures!
Wee ones: The ice flowers are white. Try to spot 5 white things in your room.
Little kids: Which is colder, a day that’s 5 degrees F, or a day that’s 10 degrees F? (Lower numbers are colder.) Bonus: If the team took a 5-hour flight and a 6-hour boat ride to reach this chilly spot, how long did it take to get there?
Big kids: In the winter there, the sun barely peeks up above the water. If it shone for just the 2 middle hours of the day, when did the sun rise and set? Bonus: If Jeff is 6 feet tall and only 42 inches of him is above that freezing water, how much of his height is underwater? (Reminder if needed: One foot has 12 inches.)
Answers:
Wee ones: Items might include socks, bedsheets, pillow cases, and paper.
Little kids: The 5-degree day. Bonus: 11 hours.
Big kids: From 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, since noon (12 pm) is midday. Bonus: 30 inches, since he’s 72 inches tall.
