15 Fascinating Science Facts for Kids

Just For Fun

15 Fascinating Science Facts for Kids

Our kids are naturally curious creatures and they can absorb information like sponges. Wow them with these interesting and fun tidbits of science. Your lunch box notes just got nerdy!

1. Earth’s inner core is 10,832 degrees Fahrenheit, and its outer core is a mere 6,872 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. One hundred pounds is the weight of: 412,375 bees, 5,465 party balloons and 1,600 human eyeballs. Want to know more? The Omni Calculator Project’s Weird Units Converter (omnicalculator.com) will provide you with oodles of entertainment! You can enter in various weights, heights, distances and then learn the equivalent of random objects.

3. Apollo 14 astronaut Alan Shepard played golf on the moon in 1971! He brought two golf balls and a golf club with him on the voyage. The club is now on display at the USGA Golf Museum and Library in Liberty Corner, New Jersey. The two golf balls are still on the moon.

4. Scientists believe the Hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules) can lift up to 850 times its own weight. On average, a Hercules beetle weighs .28–0.30 pound, which, in theory, means this beetle could lift 255 pounds.

5. The resurrection fern (Pleopeltis polypodioides) can appear to come back to life: it can be completely dried out for as many as 100 years, but when watered, it will begin to grow again. (Zombie fern, anyone?)

6. The human body contains almost 100 trillion cells. 7. A rattlesnake’s fangs are actually hollow and inject the poison into their prey.

8. A 40-year-old tree can store 1 ton of carbon dioxide — that’s the equivalent of two grand pianos or one very large walrus.

9. In her lifetime, a female sunfish (Mola mola) can lay as many as 300 million eggs.

10. Most scientists agree that dogs and humans have been hunting partners and companions for more than 14,000 years.

11. In one hour, your heart beats 3,600 times.

12. The electric catfish (Malapteruridae) has an organ that produces an electric force field, which will zap any predator that gets too close. The shock is enough to deter predators and kill smaller prey. 13. The large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) is the largest bat on Earth and has a wingspan of up to 5 feet. But don’t worry, these big fruit bats don’t drink blood; they prefer to drink flower nectar and eat fruits.

14. The Great Lakes hold more than 20 percent of the world’s surface freshwater (approximately 5,400 cubic miles of water).

15. Nearly all mammals, including humans, have two sets of teeth during their lifetime: baby teeth and adult teeth. But reptiles can have many more sets: a crocodile can go through 50 sets of teeth and regrow 3,000 teeth! ■

Find more fun science facts at parentmap.com/science-rocks.

— Amber Guetebier