If you’ve ever been snowboarding, snowboarding, or otherwise, you’ll likely be familiar with artificial snow. The feeling of slipping is not quite the same. This explains the difference in composition, as artificial snow does not consist of small flakes, which we know very well.
This year, the Winter Olympics will be held entirely on artificial snow. If there are many discussions about the environmental impact of this snow, what is it made of?
>> Read also: Olympic Games: Global warming threatens the organization of the next Winter Olympics, according to experts
Let’s start with natural snow: flakes are made up of an icy core called a core, which when dropped into cold air gradually grows to form the flake as we know it. Thanks to this core a crust is formed, without any particles, only pure water turns into ice at -40 ° C.
To create artificial snow, this process must be repeated. When certain molecules act as nuclei, they make it possible to lower the temperature at which water turns into ice. The most commonly used particles are produced by bacteria called Pseudomonas Serengai. This type of nucleus does not lead to the formation of flakes, but rather drops of water that freeze around the nucleus, forming small balls of ice, which accumulate more densely than flakes.
Because of this difference, artificial snow may be more solid. Less pleasant to the touch, but this feature will allow you to slide faster, which may appeal to Olympic athletes!