Wow! Science: Lots of Amazing Things About Science

130 Pages·2011·37.66 MB·English

by  DK

WOW!
SCIENCE
LONDON, NEW YORK,
MELBOURNE, MUNICH, AND DELHI
For Tall Tree Ltd:
Editors Rob Colson, Jon Richards, and Jennifer Sanderson
Designers Malcolm Parchment and Ed Simkins
For Dorling Kindersley:
Senior editor Victoria Heyworth-Dunne
Senior designer Smiljka Surla
Managing editor Linda Esposito
Managing art editor Jim Green
Creative retouching Steve Willis
Picture research Louise Thomas
Category publisher Laura Buller
DK picture researcher Emma Shepherd
Production editor Marc Staples
Senior production controller Angela Graef
Jacket design Hazel Martin
Jacket editor Matilda Gollon
Design development manager Sophia M Tampakopoulos Turner
Development team Yumiko Tahata
First published in Great Britain in 2011 by
Dorling Kindersley Limited,
80 Strand, London, WC2R 0RL
Penguin Group (UK)
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
001–179074–July/11
Copyright © 2011 Dorling Kindersley Limited
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the
prior written permission of the copyright owner.
A CIP catalogue record for this book
is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-1-40536-427-0
Printed and bound by Leo, China
Discover more at
www.dk.com
WOW!
SCIENCE
Written by:
Clive Gifford
Consultant:
Lisa Burke
1 2
The Living World Earth
6 42
Life on Earth 8 Earth’s origins 44
Plant structure 10 Plates and faults 46
Plant reproduction 12 Earthquakes and
Evolution and extinction 14 volcanoes 48
Insects and arachnids 16 Rocks and soil 50
Reptiles and amphibians 18 Weathering and erosion 52
Birds 20 Fossils and strata 54
Underwater life 22 Water 56
Mammals 24 Weather 58
Ecosystems 26 Natural resources 60
Human body 28 Human impact 62
3
Skeleton and muscles 30
Blood and breathing 32
The digestive system 34
Brain and senses 36
Body repair 38
Matter and materials
Genetics 40 64
Building blocks 66
The periodic table 68
States of matter 70
Properties of matter 72
Chemical reactions 74
Mixtures and compounds 76
Acids, bases, and salts 78
Materials science 80
4 5
Energy and forces Space
82 106
Energy 84 The Universe 108
Forces 86 Galaxies and stars 110
Motion 88 Star life and death 112
Simple machines 90 The Solar System 114
Electromagnetic Sun and Moon 116
spectrum 92 Asteroids, meteorites,
Sound 94 and comets 118
Heat 96 Seeing into space 120
Light 98 Space exploration 122
Electricity 100
Magnetism 102 Glossary 124
Using electricity 104 Index 126
Acknowledgements 128
Contents
FULL OF LIFE
A coral reef is packed with
marine life. Different species
of fish, crustaceans, marine
plants, and mammals, as well
as billions of microscopic
plankton, make the waters
around a coral reef their home.
6
The Living World
7
LIFE ON EARTH d MOVEMENT
Living things are capable of moving part or all of
their bodies. Plants may be rooted in one place,
but they can grow in different directions while
Life exists in rich abundance on Earth. A species is a group of living their flowers can open and close. This cougar
organisms, such as humans, golden eagles, and blue whales, which (also known as a puma or mountain lion) is the
share common characteristics and can breed with each other. largest predatory animal in the United States.
It can run at speeds of more than 50 km/h
Scientists have identified almost two million different species,
(30 mph) in short sprints.
although there may be many more. These are divided up into five
kingdoms – plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and single-celled
organisms known as protists. All share some basic characteristics
of life that enable them to survive.
u FOOD ENERGY
All living things require food,
which they digest for energy d RESPIRATION
to fuel their movement, to
An eagle’s talons are Respiration is the release of energy from
maintain and repair their
sharp and can grip food substances in all living cells. It is a
bodies, and for growth. prey securely chemical reaction and it can be
Animals that eat other
either aerobic (with oxygen) or
creatures are called
anaerobic (without oxygen).
carnivores, such as this
Animals, such as this polar
osprey catching a fish.
bear, respire aerobically,
Animals that eat only plants
taking in oxygen from the
are called herbivores, while
surrounding air or, in the
those that eat both plants
case of fish, from water. The
and animals are called
oxygen is exchanged in a land
omnivores. Plants make
animal’s lungs, a fish’s gills, or an
food through the process of
insect’s tracheae, with carbon
photosynthesis, while fungi
dioxide, which respiration
feed on decaying plant and
creates as a waste product.
animal matter.
8