Category Science

What are the reasons for copper being widely used?

Copper is one of the most used metals right from the beginning of civilizations. Copper had many qualities that were ideal for making tools, utensils and weapons.

This reddish brown metal is malleable and does not react with water or steam. It does not react with the oxygen in the air either, unless heated strongly. Copper is a good conductor of heat and electricity. That is why copper is used to make wires and utensils. Copper is used to make coins as well.

Copper is an indispensable metal in the electronic industry. In fact, almost all electrical devices rely on copper wiring because copper is inexpensive and highly conductive. Copper is mixed with other metals to make alloys with desirable properties.

The number of alloys made with copper is ever growing. Nowadays, copper is mixed with zinc, tin, aluminium, lead, silicon, manganese, cadmium and even chromium to make alloys.

Picture Credit : Google

Why was the discovery of copper turning point in human history?

The discovery of copper opened up new possibilities for humans. Copper exists in nature in the shape of nuggets. Gold and silver occur in the same shape, but they are very rare. Copper on the other hand is widely distributed and readily available.

Copper can easily be worked into different shapes. This was the reason why copper was preferred by the early humans. It was easy to make tools and weapons out of copper and they lasted longer than those made out of stone. They were much lighter than the stone toots as well. Moreover, copper tools could be sharpened again and again, so that they remained as good as new.

Early humans started with learning to extract copper from ores. Later their technology advanced; they began mixing copper with zinc to create an alloy called bronze, thus ushering a period known as the Bronze Age. 

Picture Credit : Google

What are the great scientific discoveries?

Life is full of problems, and scientists are always trying to find new ways to solve them. There are hundreds of great scientists who have changed our lives for the better,through their discoveries and their inventions. Here are seven of them.

Evolution

Charles Darwin worked out how animals, such as moths and beetles, can change over many generations to become new species. This process is called evolution.

Computers

Ada Lovelace wrote the first published computer program. She also predicted that a computer would be able to make music and images, not just do sums.

Light bulb

Thomas Edison is best known for inventing the first light bulb that could be made in large numbers. He also invented a sound-recorder and a moving-image projector, which helped to start the age of movies.

Gravity

Issac Newton is said to have discvered how gravity works when he saw an apple fall from a tree. He realized that there must be a similar force that keeps the Earth moving around the Sun.

Radioactivity

Marie Curie discovered two substances, called radium and polonium, which give off invisible rays that can pass through materials. She called these rays radioactivity.

Relativity

Albert Einstein’s theories of relativity, along with his ground-breaking E = mc^2 equation, helped scientists to understand the Universe, and how energy, mass, space, and time are all related.

Antibiotics

Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, which led to the creation of a group of medicines called antibiotics. They kill the bacteria that cause many infections in humans and other animal, and so have saved millions of lives.

 

Picture Credit : Google

What is the human skeleton made of?

Like all vertebrates, humans have a bony skeleton underneath their skin and muscles. It is a framework to hold up the body, help it move, and protect what is inside. The amazing brain makes humans the cleverest of all the animals. That includes you!

Thinking

The brain controls the body, sorting out information from the world around you and sending out instructions. It also stores memories.

Pumping

With each beat, the heart pumps blood around the body, delivering nutrients and oxygen to every part.

Breathing

Lungs bring air into the body through breathing. This air contains oxygen, which is needed to keep the body alive.

Eating

The body needs food to survive. The digestive system breaks food down, keeping the nutrients and getting rid of the waste.

Strong muscles

Muscles are like elastic straps that can stretch or squeeze. Many muscles move the body by pulling on the bones.

Standing tall

Unlike most animals, humans walk upright on two legs. This allows the arms to be used for other activities such as making things.

Body facts

  • Human skeletons contain more than 200 bones. The smallest bone is inside the ear and in only 3 mm (3/25 in) long.
  • The thigh bone is the strongest bone in the body. It is about four times stronger than concrete.
  • A human heart beats more than 100,000 times in a day. That is over 35 million times in a year.
  • In one day, blood travels about 19,000 km (12,000 miles) around the body.

 

Picture Credit : Google

What are Animals?

There are millions of different types of animal on Earth, so scientists have divided them into groups, based on features that they share. For example, is their body covered in fur, feathers, or scales? The amazing imaginary animal shown here combines key parts of animals from six well-known groups.

Insects

All insects have six legs and a pair of feelers on their heads, like this moth. Most of them have wings and can fly.

Reptiles

Reptiles are covered in hard, dry scales, or a shell, like this tortoise. They have either four legs or no legs at all.

Mammals

Mammals have fur or hair on their bodies, and feed their babies milk. Humans are a type of mammal.

Birds

Birds have wings, and they are the only animals that have feathers, which keep them warm and help them to fly.

Fish

All fish live in water and use their tails to help them swim. Their bodies are covered in scales, and they have gills for breathing underwater.

Amphibians

Amphibians live both on land and in water. Most of them have four legs, which they use for walking and swimming.

 

Picture Credit : Google

How is science involved in everyday life?

Science is all around us. From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to bed, almost everything that we do or that happens to us can be explained by science. Here are a few examples of the ways that science helps us to understand what goes on in our daily lives.

Wakey wakey!

Science explains how a cockerel could wake us up in the morning. Sound waves travel through the air from the cockerel’s mouth to our ears.

Light the way

Science explains how flicking a switch turns on our lights, by allowing electricity to flow around an electrical circuit.

Keeping warm

Science explains how our clothes keep us warm. Wool and cotton are poor conductors of heat energy, so they stop our body heat from escaping.

Eat up!

Science explains why we need to eat food every day. Food contains stored energy that we need in order to move, grow, and keep warm.

On the move

Science explains how wecan use a bicycle to travel quickly. The grip of the tyres produces friction between the wheel and the road, which helps to push the bike along.

Sun power

Science explains why a plant grows when we put it on a windowsill. Plants use energy from sunlight to produce food, which gives the plant energy to grow.

Ball games

Science explains why a ball moves when we kick, throw, or hit it. Our arms and legs produce a force that propels the ball forwards.

Time for bed

Science explains why the Moon stays in the sky. The force of gravity from the Earth pulls on the Moon, keeping it in orbit around our planet.

 

Picture Credit : Google