Science Facts for Kids
Mind-blowing science facts
Underwater, pressure increases by one atmosphere — equivalent to the entire weight of the air column above — for every 10 metres you descend. At the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the pressure is over 1,000 times surface pressure.
The average human heart beats around 60–100 times per minute, adding up to about 2.5–3 billion beats in a lifetime — without ever taking a rest.
Red light has the longest wavelength in the visible spectrum, which is why red is used for stop lights and warning signals — it can be seen from further away through fog and rain than any other colour.
Copper is used for electrical wiring because it is one of the best conductors of electricity. It allows electrons to flow with very little resistance, wasting minimal energy as heat.
Solar panels use the photovoltaic effect — discovered in 1839 — to convert sunlight directly into electricity. When photons of light hit the silicon in a panel, they knock electrons loose to create a current.
Evolution by natural selection works because individuals with traits better suited to their environment tend to survive longer and have more offspring, gradually passing those traits to future generations.
Enzymes are biological catalysts — proteins that speed up chemical reactions in the body by millions of times without being used up themselves. Without enzymes, the chemical reactions in your cells would happen too slowly to sustain life.
Blood is red because of haemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that contains iron. When haemoglobin binds to oxygen, the iron gives it a bright red colour; without oxygen, it is a darker red.
About 76% of deep-sea creatures produce their own light through bioluminescence, using chemical reactions to glow in the pitch-black ocean depths to attract prey, communicate, or avoid predators.
Visible light is just a tiny slice of the electromagnetic spectrum. Beyond what our eyes can see lie radio waves, microwaves, infrared, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays — all forms of the same energy.