Science Facts for Kids
Mind-blowing science facts
Soap molecules have two ends: one attracted to water and one attracted to oil and grease. This allows soap to surround grease particles, lifting them away from surfaces so water can rinse them away.
A glass prism separates white light into its constituent colours because each wavelength is bent by a slightly different amount when entering and leaving the glass — a property called dispersion.
Most of your body's cells are replaced over time — red blood cells last about 120 days, skin cells about 2–3 weeks. However, some brain neurons and heart muscle cells may last your entire lifetime.
Nanotechnology involves manipulating materials at the scale of individual atoms and molecules — a billionth of a metre. Scientists are using it to develop new medicines, more efficient solar panels, and stronger lightweight materials.
Ozone is a molecule made of three oxygen atoms (O₃), as opposed to the oxygen we breathe, which has two (O₂). High in the stratosphere, ozone absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
Sleep is essential for learning and memory. During sleep, the brain replays and consolidates the day's experiences, moving information from short-term to long-term memory — which is why sleep before an exam really does help.
Dolly the sheep, born in 1996 at the Roslin Institute in Scotland, was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell. Her birth showed that specialised adult cells could be reprogrammed to grow into a complete new organism.
Friction converts kinetic energy into heat. You can feel this by rubbing your hands together quickly. Friction is also what makes brakes work, prevents us from slipping on the ground, and causes shooting stars to glow.
The human brain generates approximately 20 watts of electrical power when fully active — just enough to power a dim light bulb. Despite its relatively low power use, it is extraordinarily complex and efficient.
Photons — particles of light — have no mass, yet they carry energy and can exert a tiny pressure when they hit a surface. This radiation pressure, though minuscule, has been used to propel experimental solar sail spacecraft.