Science

The purpose of chlorophyll is to pass energy and make glucose, which is then used as energy for a plant. Find out why chlorophyll looks green and how it is used in photosynthesis with help from a...

Carbon is important to living systems in that it is found in every form of life, and it can form long chains of molecules that perform a variety of functions. Discover carbon's importance in the...

Earth's surface is primarily composed of seven major elements that are found in abundance, including oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, magnesium, calcium and potassium. Learn about the major types...

Wind power is a form of renewable energy, it's a domestic source of energy, and it is a reliable and quiet form of energy. Discover disadvantages of wind power, such as the cost, with help from a...

Atmospheric pressure is the weight of air molecules above an object, so atmospheric pressure gets lower the farther one moves away from Earth. Discover why people's ears pop on airplanes with help...

The structure of an atom consists primarily of three parts, including neutrons, protons and electrons. Find out how the main component of an atom is space with help from a science teacher and...

People float in the Dead Sea because the water is much more dense and heavy than regular water, and this is a result of all of the salt that has dissolved in the Dead Sea. Discover how density in...

Glucose is an organic molecule, a simple sugar that consists of six carbons, 12 hydrogens and six oxygens. Discover how glucose is made during photosynthesis by plants with help from a science...

One example of a weak organic acid is lactic acid, which is commonly found in milk and has a structure with three carbons. Find out how weak acids are things that only partially dissociate in...

Fog occurs when the air temperature comes within four degrees Fahrenheit of the dew point, and the dew point is the temperature at which the water goes from gas to liquid. Learn more about fog and...

There are several causes of global warming, including changes in solar radiation, volcanic dust and natural greenhouse gases. Learn about how humans contribute to global warming through the...

The major cause of waves, specifically ocean waves, is wind, although waves can also be created by tides and earthquakes. Discover how waves are simply the result of winds passing over water with...

The Earth's plates have transform boundaries, which involves plates moving in opposite directions, and they also have diverted boundaries, which involves plates spreading apart. Find out how...

Radiant heat is a type of heat loss that involves radiation, which is when heat is constantly given off by warm objects to a surrounding environment. Find out why radiant heat for a house is...

The surface gravity of Mars is 39 percent of Earth's surface gravity, and it is measured at 3.8 meters per second. Find out how surface gravity is calculated with help from a science teacher and...

Reproductive cloning refers to a specific technique in which a donor adult cell is transferred into the egg of another. Discover why reproductive cloning is considered to be the form of cloning...

Biotechnology uses living systems and organisms to develop or make processes, and it is usually seen in agriculture, food production and medicine production. Discover how biotechnology has been...

There are three main species of redwood trees, including the coastal redwood, the giant sequoia and the dawn redwood. Learn about coastal redwoods, which can grow to more than 350 feet tall with...

Rust is a common term that is used to describe the oxidization of iron, which occurs when a stable form of iron has electrons removed and is combined with oxygen. Find out why oxygen and water are...

Basalt is a type of volcanic igneous rock that forms outside of the earth and is used for different purposes in construction. Discover how basalt is used as a major component of asphalt for roads...

Flatworms can be very harmful towards humans, but they can also be used to benefit humans by controlling invasive snails. Discover how flatworms are used in evolutionary studies to help people...

The commutative property applies to addition and multiplication, and it posits that order doesn't matter when adding or multiplying numbers. Discover why the commutative property doesn't apply to...

Eugenics was a common ideology or philosophy, as well as a scientific idea, that involved the self-direction of human development. Learn about the fallout of eugenics as a form of human rights...

Ernest Rutherford is usually given credit for discovering the proton, and he is often referred to as the "Father of Nuclear Physics." Learn more about Rutherford's discovery of charged particles...

Basalt is a type of igneous rock that is used as flooring tile, as cobblestones and as a major component of asphalt for road construction. Learn about why basalt is primarily used for construction...

Nitrogen fixation uses so many atoms, and it is so energetically inefficient because there is a lot of energy keeping nitrogen molecules bonded together. Discover why it's so difficult to separate...

The earth's mantle, core and surface have varying chemical compositions, but the earth is generally made up of eight main elements, within which there are four super abundant elements. Learn about...

There is one mineral in particular that is naturally occurring and naturally magnetic, and this mineral is lodestone, or magnetite. Find out how the Vikings used lodestone for navigation with help...

Uranium is the heaviest element that is naturally occurring, so it can be found in low concentrations in soil and water. Learn about the relative abundance of uranium in Australia with help from a...

There are two types of rain forests, including temperate rain forests and tropical rain forests, but both possess an abundance of different animal species. Discover the variety of rain forest...

A solar-powered calculator can work at night because it uses a little battery to store all of the energy that was absorbed by its solar panels. Discover how a solar-powered calculator uses a...

Bacteria have an unlimited life span, because they reproduce asexually and don't go through a normal life cycle. Discover what can kill bacteria, such as a lack of nutrients, too much UV light or...

By definition, water has a pH of seven because it has an equal concentration of hydrogen ions, and so the pH of distilled water should be seven. Find out how distilled water can become more acidic...

A bioorganic molecule is simple an organic molecule that is found in living things, and bioorganic chemistry is a relatively new field that fuses biology and chemistry. Learn about biological...

Leaves are green because of the pigment called chlorophyll, which takes sunlight, absorbs red and blue lights, and reflects green light. Learn about the etymology of the word "chlorophyll" with...

Plants are multi-cellular organisms that have several specific traits that algae do not possess, such as leaves and roots. Discover why green algae is sometimes associated with plants with help...

Bacteria have unlimited life spans, as they reproduce asexually and make clones of themselves, but they can be killed by exposure to antibiotics. Find out how bacteria die when they dry out to a...

A glacier is a consolidated ice mass that moves over time, usually as a result of gravity, and glaciers form by compacted snow and the buildup of ice that cannot melt over time. Learn about how...

Malic acid is an organic molecule whose main characteristic is two carboxyl groups, and malic acid plays a key role in the Krebs cycle. Find out how malic acid can be found in manufactured foods...

The energy that forms as a result of cellular respiration is used in all kinds of chemical reactions that take place in the body, and these are called metabolic reactions. Find out how ATP is used...

The genetic code refers to the order of nucleotides that make up a person's DNA or RNA, and this provides the blueprint for life, as well as a set of instructions for how to create proteins....

A sampling interval is the amount of time between data points and how often a person is recording data. Find out how a sampling interval can be referred to as a frequency about observation with...

The lower left quadrant of the human body holds several major organs, including the small intestine, the colon, the left ureter and several parts of the female reproductive system. Learn about...

Physical traits that are inherited by individuals come from their parents, but these individuals have their own genome, which is made up of DNA, the genetic blueprint. Discover how DNA provides...

Enzymes are biological catalysts whose main purpose is to speed up the rate of a chemical reaction by decreasing the activation energy that is needed. Find out why enzymes are important for the...

The function of cellulose is to provide the strength and structure of plant leaves, but it can also be used to make paper and explosives. Discover how cellulose gives strength to cotton with help...

Cellulose is a long chain of glucose molecules, and it is found in the cell walls of plants, serving as their system of rigidity and support. Learn about the formation of microfibral clusters with...

Climate refers to the average weather for a specific area over a long period of time, and this should be viewed in contrast with current, immediate phenomena. Discover how climates can impact what...

Nitrogen is a basic building block that is used in the formation of different complex organic molecules, and it is used in amino acids. Find out about nitrogen's importance in RNA and DNA with...

Carbon is important to life because it is the fourth most abundant element in the universe, and the second most abundant element in the human body. Learn about how carbon is used as the basis for...