Science Facts

Science is a fascinating subject with many things to learn and discover. Here are some interesting science facts.

Oxygen is important for us to live. It is found in the air we breathe and the water we drink. Oxygen is a colorless gas that makes up 21% of Earth's atmosphere. Oxygen is the most common element in the Earth's crust. Oxygen is the third most common element in the Universe after hydrogen and helium. Oxygen is element number 8 on the Periodic Table of the Elements.

A magnifying glass uses convex shaped lens to make objects appear larger. As the lens is placed close to the object to be viewed, the light rays are bent toward the center of the lens. When these bent rays reach the eye, they make the object appear bigger than it actually is.

Energy is what makes things happend in the world. Heat, motion, electricity, light, and sound are forms of energy. Energy can change from one form to another. For example, a steam engine changes heat into motion.

A crystal is a solid where the molecules connect together in a repeating pattern. Crystals are often formed when magma or liquid rock cools and hardens. Quartz is a common crystal that comes in different colors like white, yellow, or purple, which is known as amethyst.

Bacteria are very small organisms that are everywhere around us. You need a microscope to see them, but they are in the air, on our skin, in our bodies, and in the ground. Bacteria live in soil, water, hot springs, radioactive waste, and the deep parts of oceans and the Earth's crust. Bacteria have even survived in space on a spacecraft with people.

Lightning is cause by static electricity. The negative charge in a thundercloud creates a positive charge in the ground below the cloud. If the attraction between the negative and positive charges is strong enough, a giant spark jumps between them producing a hot lightning bolt.

Drag is resistance to motion through a gas or liquid. Aircraft moving through air and boats moving through water are slowed down by drag. The faster an object tries to move, the more drag it experiences.

Chromosomes are structures in the nucleus of animal and plant cells that contain genetic information. Chromosomes are made of DNA and proteins. DNA is passed from parents to offspring and contains the specific instructions that make each type of living organism unique.

A battery is a device that uses a chemical reaction to make electricity. Batteries give power to toys, flashlights, cell phones, laptops, and other equipment. A battery stores chemical energy until it is needed. When the battery is used, chemical energy is changed into electric energy.

A constellation is a group of stars which form a pattern in the night sky when viewed from Earth. There are over 80 constellations and they have been named after animals, myths, people, or objects. Some are hard to see depending on the time of year and location from Earth.

Many previous scientists have done important science experiments that are famous and have made a difference in the world. Here are 10 famous scientists who pushed the world of science forward:

Albert Einstein (1879-1955) is famous for his ideas, theories, and equations in physics such as the theory of relativity, the discovery of the photoelectric effect, and the equation E = mc2 showing that energy and mass are interchangeable.
Isaac Newton (1643-1727) is famous for his contributions in physics such as being the founder of the theory of gravitation and the discovery of the laws of motion.
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) is famous for his contributions in astronomy such as improving the telescope and proving that the earth revolves around the sun.
Thomas Edison (1847-1931) was one of the greatest inventors in history with more than 1000 inventions. Some of his famous inventions are the incandescent light bulb, phonograph, motion picture camera, carbon microphone, and nickel-iron batteries.
Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was an important biologist for his theories of evolution and natural selection.
Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) was an important physicist and inventor known for his contributions in the field of electricity and magnetism particularly for his invention of the alternating current induction motor.
Max Planck (1858-1947) was an important physicist considered to be the founder of quantum theory. He discovered that energy came in small bundles he named quanta.
James Maxwell (1831-1879) was an important physicist who was the first to prove the link between electricity, magnetism, and light. He brought together a large number of equations, experiments, and observations related to electricity and magnetism into a theory. He also made contributions in color analysis and created the first true color photograph.
Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) contributed greatly towards advancements in medicine and is credited with saving more lives than any other person from his discoveries. He developed cures for rabies, anthrax, and other infectious diseases and developed the process of pasteurization.
Michael Faraday (1791-1867) was an important physicist whose discoveries in electricity and magnetism resulted in him building the first electric motor and the first generator and transformer.

Why learn science?

Understand nature and the role you play in nature
Understand the role science plays in society
Learn about biology, chemistry, physics, and technology
Investigate and test scientific ideas and explanations
Develop skills to plan and conduct investigations, gather information, and evaluate findings
Develop confidence, knowledge, and skills to find answers to questions
Find solutions to problems
Appreciate the contributions and achievements of scientists and that scientific knowledge has been developed over time by scientists from around the world
Learn that the scientific understanding is constantly changing due to continuing research and new technology

Ways to learn science in everyday life:

Ask questions and search for answers

Do experiments and test things

Practice science skills like observing, reasoning, and predicting

Keep a science research notebook to write about what you learn and discover

Find out what is known about a science topic online or in books

Questions to inspire scientific curiosity:

What do I think and why?
How does it work?
What is the cause?
What would happen if…?
How might I test it to see if it’s true?

How science is useful:

Science is important to you because it influences many parts of your life like technology, energy, food, health, medicine, transportation, and activities. Science can be used to improve your life. Science helps you develop character as you balance between openness to new concepts and being a skeptic. With openness you are encouraged to explore and discover. With skepticism you are encouraged to ask questions and search for evidence. Science challenges people and lifts up the human spirit to search for truth, accomplish feats, and keep moving forward.

Applicable science topics worth knowing about:

Chemistry helps you understand what substances are made of and how they interact. Chemistry is used to make medicine and electronics, to grow crops for food, and to cook.

Some important chemistry topics:

acids and bases
atoms
chemical reactions
states of matter (solids, liquids, and gases)
mixtures
solutions

Biology helps you understand living things. Biology is used to take care of health and for organisms to function and survive.

Some important biology topics:

animals
plants
microorganisms
the human body
cells
evolution
disease and infections
genes

Physics helps you understand matter. Physics is used in technology and medicine.

Some important physics topics:

electricity
work
energy
motion
force and gravity
waves and sound
temperature
pressure
light

Environmental Science helps us understand our surroundings including air, water, soil, plants, and animals that make it up. Environmental science is used in growing crops and taking care of the environment.

Some important environmental science topics:

water cycle
food chains
ecosystems
pollution
climate and weather
renewable energy
recycling