Gases are really energetic, they move around constantly, just like you do! Let’s learn some fun facts about gases on our planet.
Matter is any substance that takes up space and has mass. Gas is one of the 3 main states of matter: solids, liquids, and gases.
Gases are mostly invisible and have no real shape, so you can fill up any sized container with them. The helium balloons you see at parties float because the helium gas inside them weighs less than the surrounding air.
That surrounding air is what we breathe! It is a mixture of mostly nitrogen and oxygen gases. As you can imagine, gas is essential to most life on Earth. Oxygen helps produce energy in our bodies, and carbon dioxide is used by plants for photosynthesis to make sugars for their energy needs.
There are also natural gases trapped beneath the ground that we get by drilling into the Earth’s surface. We use most natural gas for cooking and for generating electricity. Amazingly, it takes millions of years for natural gas to develop, so it is not easy to replace. Natural gases also have no natural smell, so companies add an artificial rotten egg smell to it, so we will be able to smell gas leaks.
There are even gases in light bulbs and refrigerators! What other fun facts about gases can you discover?
