Monday, 25 March 2013

Bed of Nails - Cool Science Experiment

Float or Sink - Cool Science Experiment

Monday, 25 February 2013

Mars Facts for Kids

Fun Planet Facts for Kids
Interesting facts about the red planetMars Facts for Kids
Mars, or the 'Red Planet' as it is sometimes known, has a dusty, rocky surface and a thin atmosphere. Its relatively calm conditions and close proximity to earth make it the most likely destination for future planet exploration by humans.
It has already been visited by a number of Mars Rovers in successful (and unsuccessful) robotic missions. These highly advanced robots gather samples and record important scientific data for scientists back on Earth to study.
 

  • Mars is nicknamed the red planet because it is covered with rust-like dust. Even the atmosphere is a pinkish red, colored by tiny particles of dust thrown up from the surface.
  • Mars experiences violent dust storms which continually change its surface.
  • Mars has many massive volcanoes and is home to Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in our solar system, it stands 21km high and is 600km across the base.
  • Mars has a very thin atmosphere made mostly of carbon dioxide. It is not thick enough to trap the sun's heat like Venus, so the planet is very cold. Temperatures range from -120 Degrees Celsius on winter nights to 25 Degrees Celsius in the summer.
  • Mars has many channels, plains and canyons on the surface which could have been caused by water erosion in the past.
  • Mars has very weak gravity which cannot hold onto the atmosphere well.
  • The polar ice caps consist of frozen Co2 (dry ice) which lies over a layer of ice.
Mars

Mercury Facts for Kids

Mercury Facts for Kids
Mercury is a small planet which orbits closer to the sun than any other planet in our solar system. As well as being very hot, it features a barren, crater covered surface which looks similar to Earth's moon.
 

  • The surface of Mercury is very similar to our moon. It has a very barren, rocky surface covered with many craters.
  • Being so close to the Sun, the daytime temperature on Mercury is scorching - reaching over 400 Degrees Celsius.
  • At night however, without an atmosphere to hold the heat in, the temperatures plummet, dropping to -180 Degrees Celsius.
  • Mercury has a very low surface gravity.
  • Mercury has no atmosphere which means there is no wind or weather to speak of.
  • There is also no water on the surface of Mercury, it is possible however that there could be water underneath the surface.
  • Likewise, there is no air on the surface but it could be trapped underneath.