Acetate
This is a tiny part of nature. It helps living things grow. We find it in many things. It is even in some paints. It helps make things we use every day. Can you find it in your home?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articlePhysical Science articles — Page 15
Explore matter, energy, chemistry and the physical laws that help explain everyday life. Choose an article below; its reading controls let you move between the available levels.
2,727 public articles · Page 15 of 57
Acetylene
This is a clear gas. It can be used for fuel. It makes a very hot fire. This helps people melt metal. This gas helps us build things. Do you like to see bright lights?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAcid anhydride
Some things are made from water. Two parts join together. They lose some water. This makes a new thing. It can make acid. It is neat to see. Do you like to see how things change?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAcidity function
Some liquids are very sour. We can measure how sour they are. This helps us know how they work. It is like a test for liquids. Do you like sour things?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAcid salt
Some salts act like acids. They can make food rise. This helps cakes grow big. They work with baking soda. This makes bubbles in the mix. It is very cool! Do you like cake?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAcid strength
Some acids are very strong. They let go of tiny parts easily. Other acids are weak. They hold onto those parts. This helps us know how they work. It is like a game of catch. Can you find an acid at home?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAcoustic resonance
Some things shake when they hear sound. This can happen with a string. It can also happen with a glass. This helps us hear music. It even helps us hear well. Can you hear a sound shake a room?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAC power
Electricity moves in a special way. It can move back and forth. This helps power our homes. It makes lights turn on. It is very useful for us. Do you use lights at home?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAction at a distance
Some things can move without touching. A magnet can pull a metal clip. Gravity pulls us to the ground. This happens even when things are far apart. It is like magic! Can you feel gravity too?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAction (physics)
Things move in special ways. We can use math to see how they move. This helps us know where a ball will go. It is a way to study the world. It is very cool! Do you like to see how things work?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleActivated carbon
This is a special kind of black coal. It has tiny holes like a sponge. These holes trap bad things in water and air. It helps keep our water clean. It can even help people feel better. Can you find it in your home?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleActivated complex
Things change in small steps. Atoms move to make new things. They must have enough energy to move. This helps them change. It is like a tiny dance. Do you like to dance?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleActivation energy
Things need a little push to start. Some things need heat to change. A tiny spark can start a fire. This heat helps things move and change. It is like a jump over a wall. Do you see sparks sometimes?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleActivity coefficient
Mixing things can be tricky. Sometimes liquids do not act the same. They might push or pull on each other. We use a special number to help us. This number tells us how they act. It helps us understand the mix. Do you…
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAcyl group
Tiny parts make up all things. One part is a small group. It helps build big things. These parts are in our bodies. They help us live. Can you find things made of parts?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAdamantane
This is a tiny white solid. It looks like a small diamond. It is found in oil. It helps make new medicines. It is very strong. Can you find a diamond?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAda Yonath
Ada Yonath is a great scientist. She studies tiny parts of life. Her work helps us make medicine. This helps people stay well. She won a very big prize. Do you like to learn new things?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAddition reaction
Small bits can join together. They make one big piece. This happens with some things. It can help us learn. It is like building blocks. Can you see how they join?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAdiabatic process
Sometimes things change very fast. Air can get hot when it is squeezed. It can get cold when it spreads out. This happens before heat can move. It is like a quick change. Do you feel the air?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAdolf von Baeyer
Adolf was a man who loved science. He made blue dye for clothes. He also studied how things change. His work helped many people. He won a very big prize. Do you like to learn new things?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAdS/CFT correspondence
Scientists use a special trick. It is like a flat picture. This picture shows a whole world. It helps us learn about space. It helps us learn about tiny things. It is like magic! Can you imagine a flat world?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAdsorption
Tiny bits stick to a surface. They do not go inside. They stay on the top. This helps clean our water. It can even make things cold. It is like magic! Can you find things that stick?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAfternoon
The afternoon is after noon. The sun moves down in the sky. It moves toward the west. This is when we finish school. It is a busy time for us. Do you like the afternoon?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAgathodaemon (alchemist)
A man lived long ago. He studied rocks and earth. He made a strong liquid. It was not safe to touch. This man was a thinker. Do you like to learn?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAgricultural chemistry
People use science to grow food. It helps plants stay healthy. It can keep bugs away. This helps us have more food to eat. We can even make fuel from plants. It is very helpful! Do you like to eat plants?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAkira Yoshino
Akira Yoshino is a smart man. He made a new kind of battery. It makes phones work well. It helps our small tools stay on. This work won him a big prize. Do you use a phone?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAlan Lightman
Alan Lightman is a smart man. He studies how stars work. He also writes many books. He helps women lead in new ways. He likes to learn about the world. Do you like to learn too?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAlbert Fert
Albert Fert is a smart man. He studies how things work. He found a new way to save data. This helps our computers work well. He won a big prize for this. Do you like using computers?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAldol condensation
Small bits join to make new things. They stick together like blocks. This makes food and medicine. It helps us make what we need. It is very cool! Do you like building things?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAleksandr Popov (physicist)
A man named Popov found a way to use waves. He made a tool to hear lightning. It used a bell to ring. This helps us talk without wires. It is very cool! Can you imagine talking through the air?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAlexander Prokhorov
Alexander was a smart man. He studied how light works. He helped make the laser. Lasers are very useful tools. His work helped many people. Do you like bright lights?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAlexei Abrikosov (physicist)
Alexei was a smart man. He studied how things work. He looked at very cold things. He won a big prize for his work. This helps us learn about the world. Do you like to learn new things?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAlfred Kastler
Alfred Kastler was a smart man. He studied how light works. He found new ways to see small things. This work helped us learn a lot. He even won a big prize. Do you like to learn new things?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAlfred Werner
Alfred Werner was a smart man. He studied how tiny bits join together. He found how they make shapes. This helped us learn about science. He won a very big prize. Do you like to learn new things?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAlicyclic compound
Some things are shaped like rings. These rings are made of tiny bits. They can have extra bits on the side. They can even have two rings joined together. These shapes are very neat. Can you see a ring shape?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAliphatic compound
Some things are made of tiny bits. These bits can be in lines. They can also be in rings. We use them for fuel. They help us cook food. They can even help cars go. Can you find them in your home?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAlkali
Some things feel slippery like soap. These things can mix well with water. They can even be found in lakes. Some plants like to grow in this soil. It is very interesting to find! Can you find something slippery?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAlkali salt
Some salts are not like salt for food. These salts can be bases. You may find them in soap for dishes. They help get things clean. They are very useful to us. Can you find them in your home?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAllicin
Garlic has a strong smell. This smell comes from a special oil. It happens when you chop garlic. The smell helps the plant stay safe. It can stop bugs from eating it. Do you like the smell of garlic?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAllotropes of carbon
Carbon can be many things. It can be a hard diamond. It can be soft graphite. This is used in your pencil. It helps you draw. It is all the same stuff! Can you find something made of carbon?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAllotropes of oxygen
We breathe air every day. This air has oxygen in it. It helps our bodies work. Some oxygen is in a blue gas. It helps protect our world. Can you take a deep breath?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAllotropes of phosphorus
Some things can look very different. Phosphorus can be white. It can be red or black too. It can even be a gas. It is a very busy thing. Do you like to see new colors?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAllotropes of sulfur
Sulfur is a special thing. It can look many ways. It can be a ring. Some parts look like a crown. It can even be a long chain. It can be yellow or red. Do you like bright colors?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAlloy steel
We make strong metal by mixing things. We add small bits of other metals to iron. This makes the metal much tougher. It helps us build big bridges and cars. It is very useful! Do you like metal?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAllylic rearrangement
Tiny parts can move and change. Some parts shift to a new spot. This makes a new shape. It helps things grow and build. It is like a game of musical chairs. Can you see how they move?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAllyl isothiocyanate
Some plants have a strong taste. It is in mustard and radish. This taste can make you cry. It helps the plant stay safe from bugs. We use it to flavor food. Do you like spicy food?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAlpha decay
Tiny bits fly out of big atoms. They fly out to help the atom stay calm. This makes the gas we use. It also helps smoke alarms work. It is a very small thing. Can you find a smoke alarm?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAltitude
Altitude is how high something is. It is a way to measure up. It tells us how far we are from the ground. This helps planes fly safely. It also helps us stay healthy. Can you look up at the sky?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the article