What’s science all about? by Alex Frith, Hazel Maskell,Dr. Lisa Jane Gillespie & Kate Davies

Have you ever wondered what fire is? Or why things fall to the ground? Or what’s alive and what’s not? Scientists have asked all these questions and many, many others too. They‘ve found the answers using science – way of learning about world by watching, coming up with ideas and testing them. And there’s still lots left to learn.

 

Excerpt: What’s biology all about? Biology is all about life- what it is, how it works and why it is the way it is. It covers all forms of life, from the largest living plants and animals to tiny life forms that are much too to see., and it’s also about where these life forms came from, how they’ve changed over time, and how they exist side-by-side all over the earth today. Here are some big questions that keep biologists busy… What is life? It’s normally pretty easy to tell if something is alive, especially if you can see it without a microscope. But biologists study far weirder, tinier things, which may act as if they’re alive in some ways but not others. Even experts often disagree over whether these things are alive or not.

What’s Chemistry All About? By Alex Frith and Dr. Lisa Jane Gillespie

After you read this book, you will know a lot about chemistry and the way the universe is put together.  And you probably will have enjoyed yourself too.  Why?  This book is not like any other science textbook you may have read.  There are subittles and colorful drawing to illustrate the concepts.  More important, the concepts are explained in a clear, easy-to-understand way.  Read on and learns what atoms are and how they are structured, how elements make up everything that exists, how chemical reactions take place, and much much more.

 

Excerpt

Most substances aren’t elements—they’re compounds or mixtures.  The reason compounds exist is all to do with the electrons in a substance’s atoms.  When two or more atoms collide, they may just bounce off each other.  But sometimes, a few electrons are transferred from one atom to another.  This changes the atoms and makes them bond together.  That’s how compounds are made.

Nitrogen by John Farndon, from the Element

Everything in the universe is made of elements.  This series looks at the most important chemical elements and explains where they can be found, how they were discovered, their special characteristics and reactions, and their importance in the body and everyday life.  Understanding how the elements behave is the key to understanding chemistry.   The Elements provides a fascinating and fact-filled introduction to this important subject.

 

Excerpt:

Nitrogen compounds are used in a variety of ways.  English chemist Joseph Priestley (1733-1804) was the first person to make nitrous oxide.  Later, another scientist, Humphry Davy (1778-1829) studied the gas.  When Davy breathed the nitrous oxide, he laughed and danced around the room.  The main use of nitrous oxide is as an anesthetic.  Doctors and dentists use it to send to sleep during operations so that the patients feel no pain. Nitrous oxide works quickly, and its effects wear off rapidly so it is easy to use.