Fascinating Science Facts Every Student Should Know
Science is an extremely fascinating subject that is full of logical explanations. Each scientific experiment or concept that you teach to your child will have a practical backing to it. This can help your child understand the concept more logically rather than just memorizing the information. When it comes to science, there is so much that you can teach your child. This may include facts related to the ecosystem, the flora, the fauna, the minerals, satellites, space, electricity generation, and so much more.
Science can also boost street smartness and practical education among kids. As per a research paper called Teaching and learning science during the early years published in 2021, learning science may also make a child more curious and better at critically solving problems. To amplify your child's interest in science, you may teach them some interesting facts.
Here is a list of some interesting scientific facts that may truly fascinate a child and make them more interested in studying science deeply.
As per the research paper Natural Radioactivity in Bananas published in 2008, because of the presence of potassium, bananas have radioactive properties. This is something that a lot of people might not know despite consuming bananas regularly. However, there is nothing to worry about as the potassium present in bananas has very little radioactive amount. This is why it is safe for consumption and wouldn't cause any harm to the body. This can also be proven by various scientific experiments done with the help of bananas.
This is a fact that may shock a lot of people, but it is definitely true. As per the research paper Ocean oxygen: The role of the Ocean in the oxygen we breathe and the threat of deoxygenation published in 2023, the ocean is responsible for producing more than 50% of the current oxygen present on the planet Earth. Also, it is attributed to the production of more than 80% of the oxygen that has ever been produced on Earth. This comes from a lot of marine animals and aquatic plants present in the ocean.
A lot of kids might have a question related to the function of saliva in the human mouth. It is important to note that saliva helps in breaking down flavors in the mouth. In fact, without saliva, human beings would not be able to understand different flavors in the food as effectively and food would be less flavorful to everyone. As per research published in food & nutrition research published in 2017, saliva helps in the comprehension and breaking down of various flavors in the mouth. It also helps in the dissolving of food particles and enhances digestion.
An average adult has 206 bones in their body. But it is surprising that when a baby is born, although very small in size, the baby still has 300 bones in the body. As per research published in the National Medicine of Science in 2024, during infancy, the number of bones reduces to 270 in the body of the child. Generally, babies have a higher number of bones to promote flexibility and also help in the rapid height growth. As a child grows, these bones start getting attached to make larger bones. That's why the number of bones in a child's body rapidly reduces.
The Sun is the primary source of light on Earth. The distance between the sun and the Earth is magnanimous, which is why it takes a certain amount of time for light to travel from the sun to Earth. This time is eight minutes. As per research published in ResearchGate in 2010, the speed of light is 300,000 km/s. Now the distance between the sun and the Earth is somewhere around 150,000,000 km. So, on average, it takes around 8 minutes and 20 seconds for the light from the sun to reach the surface of the earth.
The solar system consists of the sun and eight other planets. When observed from the above, most of these planets rotate in an anti clockwise motion. However, out of these eight planets, there are only two exceptions, which are Venus and Uranus which rotate in a clockwise motion. It is believed that this is because of an asteroid that previously hit these two planets, which is why the direction of the motion of these two planets changed abruptly.
These are some of the few interesting facts that may help in igniting that initial spark of interest in your child for science. While understanding and studying science deeply, your child will uncover some fascinating facts about the environment, outer space, and the human body that may encourage them to study the subject even more.