Science Questions From Kids - Why Is The Sky Blue?
We all have questions about the world around us. Here are some common questions and current answers.
Science Questions From Kids - Why Is The Sky Blue?
Science Questions From Kids - Why Is The Sky Blue?
Science Questions From Kids - Why Is The Sky Blue?
Science Questions From Kids - Why Is The Sky Blue?
Why is the sky blue?
"The blue color of the sky is due to Rayleigh scattering. As light moves through the atmosphere, most of the longer wavelengths pass straight through. Little of the red, orange and yellow light is affected by the air.
"However, much of the shorter wavelength light is absorbed by the gas molecules. The absorbed blue light is then radiated in different directions. It gets scattered all around the sky. Whichever direction you look, some of this scattered blue light reaches you. Since you see the blue light from everywhere overhead, the sky looks blue."
Reference: sciencemadesimple.com/sky_blue.html
Why does the sun look bigger in the morning and in the evening?
"It is well known that when a light of any kind shines through a dense medium it appears larger, or rather gives a greater "glare," at a given distance than when it is seen through a lighter medium. This is more remarkable when the medium holds aqueous particles or vapor in solution, as in a damp or foggy atmosphere. Anyone may be satisfied of this by standing within a few yards of an ordinary street lamp, and noticing the size of the flame; on going away to many times the distance, the light or "glare" upon the atmosphere will appear considerably larger.
"This phenomenon may be noticed, to a greater or less degree, at all times; but when the air is moist and vapory it is more intense. It is evident that at sunrise, and at sunset, the sun's light must shine through a greater length of atmospheric air than at mid-day; besides which, the air near the earth is both more dense, and holds more watery particles in solution, than the higher strata through which the sun shines at noonday; and hence the light must be dilated or magnified, as well as modified in colour. ...as the sun recedes from the meridian, over a plane surface, the light, as it strikes the atmosphere, must give a larger disc."
Hint: Take a pen light and shine it on a table top. First hold it directly above the surface like the sun at noon day. See that the circle of the light beam is of a certain size. Now shine the light on the surface at an angle like when the sun goes down. Notice the size of the light on the table. Is it bigger? The table top is like the atmosphere above the earth. The light hits it at an angle and makes a larger image there. We see the object (the sun) even though it isn't. (See a better explanation of this in the reference where they are allowed to show images.
Reference: sacred-texts.com/earth/za/za28.htm
How deep is the ocean?
It depends where you go swimming. Some joke, huh?
"The average depth of the oceans is about five times the average elevation of the land. In general, the continents stand about three miles above the ocean floor. According to the National Geographic Atlas, the deepest-known part of the ocean measures 10,924 meters (35,839 feet), in the Marianas Trench near Guam. If the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest (29,141 feet), were to be placed into this trench, it would be covered by over 1.25 miles of water."
Reference: edu/info/deepest-ocean.html
How was the moon formed?
"Two new studies bolster the popular theory that the moon formed from debris after a rogue planet smacked into Earth about 4.5 billion years ago. "
Hint: Read the reference carefully to see how scientist think on this subject. No scientific knowledge is needed to understand this article.
Reference: space.com/scienceastronomy/planetearth/moonwhack_main_000901.html
What is the Big Bang theory?
The theory is that the universe was formed or created in space time at a singularity of extreme density and energy. Dark energy detected at microwave frequencies is evidence of such a great release of energy. (The universe was formed everywhere at once from nothing according to a contact I had with those who know best.) The center of the universe does not exist and can not be determined. So they say. The theory may never be proved. Read the reference for a brief description.
Reference: liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/universe/b_bang.html
What is the highest mountain in our solar system?
"The highest mountain and volcano in the solar system is on the planet Mars. It is called Olympus Mons and is 16 miles (24 kilometers) high which makes it about three times higher than Mt. Everest. In addition to being very tall, it is also very wide (340 miles or 550 kilometers) and covers an area larger than the entire chain of Hawaiian islands. Olympus Mons is a very flat mountain which slopes by only 2 to 5 degrees. It is a shield volcano built up by eruptions of lava."
Hint: Go to the reference to see a pic of this monster.
Reference: coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_kids/AskKids/olympusmons.shtml
Where are the world's highest tides?
"The Bay of Fundy (New Brunswick, Canada) has the world's highest tides. They average about 45 feet (14 meters) in the northern part of the bay, far surpassing the world average of 2.5 feet (0.8 meters)."
Hint: Use the search box at the reference to find answers to other science questions.
Reference: enotes.com/science-fact-finder/earth/where-worlds-highest-tides
The End
Science Questions From Kids - Why Is The Sky Blue?
