Rain vs. Snow: What's the Difference for Grade 1 Science?

📚 Rain vs. Snow: A Grade 1 Science Adventure!

Rain and snow are both types of precipitation, which means they are water falling from the sky. But they form in different ways and look very different!

🌧️ What is Rain?

Rain is liquid water that falls from clouds. It forms when water vapor in the air cools and condenses into tiny water droplets. When these droplets get big and heavy enough, they fall to the ground as rain.

❄️ What is Snow?

Snow is frozen water that falls from clouds. It forms when the temperature in the clouds is below freezing (0°C or 32°F). Water vapor turns directly into ice crystals, which join together to form snowflakes.

🔬 Rain vs. Snow: A Side-by-Side Comparison

💡 Key Takeaways

• 💧 Rain is liquid water that forms when water vapor condenses.
• 🧊 Snow is frozen water that forms when water vapor freezes.
• 🌡️ Temperature is the key difference: rain forms above freezing, and snow forms below freezing.
• ☁️ Both rain and snow start in clouds!
• 🔢 The freezing point of water is $0^{\circ}C$ or $32^{\circ}F$.