Did You Know? Everyday Wonders Explained Simply

How Do Mirrors Really Work?
Mirrors look like plain glass, but they reflect everything in front of them. That’s because the back of the glass is coated with a thin layer of metal, which bounces the light back and shows your reflection.

What’s a Ship Graveyard?
Ship graveyards are places where old ships are taken apart or left to rust. Many of these places are in poorer countries where people do the hard and risky work of breaking down the ships for parts.

Why Do Salmon Swim Upstream?
Salmon are born in small streams but grow up in the ocean. When it’s time to lay eggs, they return to the same streams swimming against the current and even jumping up waterfalls to give their babies the safest place to grow.

How Does a Greenhouse Keep Plants Warm?
Greenhouses are made of clear glass or plastic that lets sunlight in but keeps the warmth from escaping. This creates a cozy space for plants, even during cold weather.

How Many Breaths Do We Take in a Lifetime?
Believe it or not, we take about 600 million breaths over a lifetime! If each breath filled a balloon, we could blow up 50 million balloons!

What Was the Irish Potato Famine?
In the 1800s, a disease hit the potato crops in Ireland, making them unsafe to eat. Since many people depended on potatoes, this caused a terrible famine, and nearly a million people died.

How Were Matches Invented?
The first match was made by John Walker from England. It had a mix of white phosphorus and sulfur, which caught fire when struckb ut it was dangerous and toxic. Later, it was replaced with red phosphorus, which is much safer and still used in matches today.