Page 119 - DK Children's Encyclopedia
P. 119

Gases                                                                             SEE ALSO

                                                                                               ▸ ▸ Changing states
                                                                                                p.57

           Gases are all around us—we are surrounded by a                                      ▸ ▸ Elements  p.90
           mixture of gas called air. We can keep them in sealed                               ▸ ▸ Liquids  p.148
           containers but if we open the container, the gas                                   ▸ ▸ Lungs  p.149

           escapes and spreads out. Most gases are invisible.                                  ▸ ▸ Mixtures  p.168
                                                                                               ▸ ▸ Solids  p.234

                                                                            Helium is a
                                                                            lighter gas than
       What gases do                                                        air, so helium
                                                                            balloons float.
       Gases have things they
       do called properties. For
       example, gases can be
       squashed and then they
       push back to fill the original
       space. This is useful for
       pumping up bike tires
       that cushion bumps in
       the road as we ride.

                                                                                            Blowing bubbles
                                                                                            Soap bubbles contain a little

              Gases                                                                         bit of air that pushes out
              expand                                                                        toward the bubble. The soap
              to fill their                                                                 bubble mix is stretched but
              container.
                                                                                            pushes back, squashing the
                                                                                            air into a sphere.








                                                                             Fizzy drinks
                                                                             When you see bubbles in a
                                                                             liquid, every one of them is
                                                     Gas would
                                                     escape from an          full of gas. In a fizzy drink,
                                                     unsealed container.     the bubbles are the gas
                                                                             carbon dioxide.
       Gas particles
       Gases are made from tiny
       particles that move away                          What’s in air?                                1% other gases
       from each other in all                            Air is the gas all around
       directions at top speed.                          us. It is made of a
       They travel long distances                        mixture of different      78%
       unless they bounce off                            gases, but mostly a       nitrogen
       solid barriers.                                   gas called nitrogen.
                                                         We breathe in oxygen                          21% oxygen
                                                         from the air for our
                                                         bodies to use.
                                                                                     The gases in air

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