Electricity for kids - and everyone else: A simple introduction! Advertisement by Chris Woodford. Last updated: April 14, 2016. If you've ever sat watching a thunderstorm, with mighty lightning bolts darting down from the sky, you'll have some idea of the power of electricity. Electricity is the most versatile energy source that we have; it is also one of the newest: homes and businesses have been using it for not much more than a hundred years. What is electricity? Electricity is a type of energy that can build up in one place or flow from one place to another. Static electricity Static electricity often happens when you rub things together. Have you ever walked across a nylon rug or carpet and felt a slight tingling sensation? Lightning is also caused by static electricity. Photo: Lightning in South Lakewood, Colorado. How static electricity works Electricity is caused by electrons, the tiny particles that "orbit" around the edges of atoms, from which everything is made. Suppose you rub a balloon on your pullover over and over again. Electric circuits
2. The Solar System by KidsAstronomy Our solar neighborhood is an exciting place. The Solar System is full of planets, moons, asteroids, comets, minor planets, and many other exciting objects. Learn about Io, the explosive moon that orbits the planet Jupiter, or explore the gigantic canyons and deserts on Mars. What Is The Solar System? The Solar System is made up of all the planets that orbit our Sun. Everything in the Solar System orbits or revolves around the Sun. How Did The Solar System form? This is an important question, and one that is difficult for scientists to understand. Scientists believe that the Solar System evolved from a giant cloud of dust and gas. At the center of this spinning cloud, a small star began to form. Further away from the center of this mass where the star was forming, there were smaller clumps of dust and gas that were also collapsing. A Great Storm Once ignited, the Sun's powerful solar winds began to blow. The Solar System Has Over 100 Worlds It is true that there are only eight planets.
15 Fun Science Activities for Kids We love fun science activities and science experiments. We have a whole list of fun ways to learn and explore today with your little scientist. These fantastic activities were inspired by Buggy and Buddy. 15 Fun Science Experiments for Kids 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Did you know? Our book, The 101 Coolest Simple Science Experiments, features tons of awesome activities just like this one that will keep your kids engaged while they learn. Science Kits These science kits make it simple and easy to start experimenting right away! Tasty Science Kit – Learn why soda pop fizzes and why cakes rise! What is a Shadow? | Facts For Kids, Science « Kinooze What is a shadow?, Image Credit: Flickr User dvs, via CC I follow you around in the light, I say goodbye to you in the night? Who am I? Shadow! Does everything has a shadow? Take a look around and see what all things form shadows. Leaf and a banner both have a shadow, Image Credit: Flickr User: Image credit zeevveez, via cc How are shadows formed? Sometimes objects can block light which means that no light is able to pass through that object. The opaque stem of the pumpkin blocks the light to form a sharp shadow, Image Credit: Flickr user Muffet, via cc Why do shadows keep changing sizes? The size of the shadow depends on the angle at which the light is falling on the object. Why does our shadow chase us? Shadows are our constant companions, Image Credit: Flickr User: Georgie Pauwels, via cc If the source of the light is moving, the direction of the light rays in which they fall on the object also changes. Did you know that shadows are used to make puppets?
Our Solar System Our planetary system is located in an outer spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy. Our solar system consists of our star, the Sun, and everything bound to it by gravity – the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune; dwarf planets such as Pluto; dozens of moons; and millions of asteroids, comets, and meteoroids. Beyond our own solar system, we have discovered thousands of planetary systems orbiting other stars in the Milky Way. 10 Things to Know About Our Solar System One of Billions Our solar system is made up of a star, eight planets, and countless smaller bodies such as dwarf planets, asteroids, and comets. Meet Me in the Orion Arm Our solar system orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at about 515,000 mph (828,000 kph). A Long Way Round It takes our solar system about 230 million years to complete one orbit around the galactic center. Spiraling Through Space There are three general kinds of galaxies: elliptical, spiral, and irregular. Good Atmosphere(s)
Land Art Generator Initiative click for larger imagedownload high resolution PDF Note in 2015: this post is from 2009. Some of the links below may be broken. The IEA has updated estimates since 2009, but the overall trends are the same. According to the US Department of Energy (Energy Information Administration), the world consumption of energy in all of its forms (barrels of petroleum, cubic meters of natural gas, watts of hydro power, etc.) is projected to reach 678 quadrillion Btu (or 715 exajoules) by 2030 – a 44% increase over 2008 levels (levels for 1980 were 283 quadrillion Btu and we stand at around 500 quadrillion Btu today in 2009). I wonder what surface area would be required and what type of infrastructural investment would be required to supply that amount of power by using only solar panels. So to find this out we start with the big number 678,000,000,000,000,000 Btu. Converting this to KW•h [1 Btu = .0002931 kW•h (kilowatt hours)] makes 198,721,800,000,000 kW•h (199,721 TW•h). Compare it to highways:
6. Planets For Kids - Solar System Facts and Astronomy Los Planetas del Sistema Solar Su Trayectoria, Datos y Caracteristicas Inicio » Temas Científicos » Los Planetas del Sistema Solar Su Trayectoria, Datos y Caracteristicas LOS PLANETAS DEL SISTEMA SOLAR: El sistema solar consta de nueve planetas. A todos ellos, excepto Mercurio y Venus, los acompañan satélites en número variable, desde la Tierra, que solamente tiene uno (la Luna), hasta Júpiter, alrededor del cual giran once. Entre Marte y Júpiter hay multitud de pequeños cuerpos, cuyo número sobrepasa los dos millares. Además de la Tierra, los planetas se dividen en dos grupos claramente diferenciados. La excentricidad orbital de los planetas aumenta de manera inversa a su diámetro: en los más grandes alcanza algunas centésimas y crece notablemente para los pequeños. Planeta Mercurio: El pequeño y rocoso planeta Mercurio tiene el nombre del veloz mensajero de los dioses romanos, por su rápido paso a través del cielo, visto desde la Tierra. MERCURIO El planeta más próximo al Sol. Planeta Venus, es el planeta que está más cercano a la Tierra.
Facts About Light and Dark - Easy Science For Kids You probably don’t think much about light and dark. After all, you can turn on a switch and the lights go on. Even in the middle of the night, you can have light. Two hundred years ago, though, people were very aware of light and dark. All About Light and Dark: Different natural and other sources of light includes Sun, candles, bulbs, lamps etc. What sources of light do you use every day? A shadow happens when an object blocks the sun’s rays. A shadow happens when an object blocks the sun’s rays. During winter longer shadows are formed due to angle of sun. Some animals are nocturnal. Some objects, such as glass, are transparent. Light and Dark Vocabulary Dim: dull, not brightShadow: a patch of darknessNocturnal: awake at nightOpaque: light cannot penetrate it. Learn More All About Light and Dark Check out this amazing video about darkness: A video explaining why we can’t see in the dark. Light and Dark Q&A Question: Do shiny objects, like a new penny, give off light?
Webb Image Release- Webb Space Telescope GSFC/NASA