How does one compute the CD of a snowflake?

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

PGerringer

Ruler of Heck
Joined
Jul 12, 2001
Messages
1,778
Reaction score
5
On the way to work this morning my son and I were discussing why the snow that was falling is slower than rain. We determined that the coefficient of drag on a snowflake was higher than a rain drop. How would one compute the CD of a snowflake?

Don't laugh, you get awefully bored driving 20mph in a 65mph zone. :)

We're supposed to get 2 inches here which is fun for this area! :D
 
one would have to capture ,measure ,and weigh a snow flake


on the other hand a raindrop is darn near the perfect aerodynamic shape as far as CD

It's gone from 74f to 23f in 2 days here.heh
 
hmm..weigh a specimen tray with a ultra-sensitive Miekel Scale..freeze the tray and its glass top.

Capture a snowflake on the tray, instantly drop lid back on and refreeze. Then weigh it to see what snowflake weighs - subtracting the known weight of the complete specimen tray, then compute its mean length and weight using a Electron Microscope.

Since no two snowflakes are alike - although I'm betting one out of a kazillion or a google is the same - you then can compute the CD.

Renting a Miekel Scale - 2000 bucks a 1/2 hour
Use of an Electron Microscope - 10,000 Dollars

Finding the CD of a snowflake, and impressing your child - Priceless
 
I would have dropped the whole snowflake ponderings and brought up something cooler like "I wonder how fast I can cruise down this road on a rocket powered sled." :D
 
Originally posted by eugenefl
I would have dropped the whole snowflake ponderings and brought up something cooler like "I wonder how fast I can cruise down this road on a rocket powered sled." :D

That would assume that Phil has a high speed of thought. The facts of the matter are that Phil's speed of thought is inversely proportional to his fear of cows... :eek: :rolleyes: :D
 
Rotf ..I've seen some references to a fear of cows here before ... most recently in the Spider thread.

You guys crack me up.
 
A raindrop is heavier.... Isn't it?


Silver...


Look at the thread titled "Of Dragons and Cows". It is sooo funny.
 
First off I have to thank you guys for posting that follow up thread, and now that I'm back from reading it..

I must thank the original posters for making me shoot Earl Grey all over the monitor.

I especially spewed tea out the sinuses after seeing the blow up of the 4 cows in the background. I had tears rolling.

Now thats a post. Cheers for making me laugh so hard!
 
Someguy in Guiness Book O world Records had 8 G64s on the back of a street luge for the fastest street luge speed or somethin! It made for a darn good pic! Very dangerous, too. the motors were right next to his head... In the event of a CATO.... OUCH! I shudder to think! Of all the smart things a guy can do...................................................
 



Regardless of how you do it...I would think that you must do it rather quickly...!!!
 
Back
Top