From Sparkling Water to Giant Trees and Precious Gems

What Are Diamonds Made Of?

Diamonds, some of the most beautiful and valuable gems in the world, are formed deep inside the earth. They’re created in places where there is extreme heat and pressure. That’s what makes diamonds the hardest natural material on earth.

What’s amazing is that diamonds are made of just one simple element: carbon. Carbon is found all around us even in the air we breathe. But in diamonds, the carbon atoms are arranged in a special way that gives them their strength and sparkle.

Who Discovered Sparkling Water?

Speaking of carbon, about 250 years ago, an English scientist named Joseph Priestley made an interesting discovery. He placed a bowl of water above a container of fermenting beer and noticed that the air above it could harm mice. He realized this gas was different from regular air, it was carbon dioxide.

He also found that when carbon dioxide mixed with water, it made bubbles and the water tasted fizzy and fun to drink. Priestley didn’t make money from this, but a German man named Johann Schweppe saw Priestley’s recipe and started a business making carbonated water. That company still exists today and it’s called Schweppes.

What’s the Biggest Tree in the World?

The biggest tree in the world is called General Sherman, and it grows in Sequoia National Park in California. While it’s not the tallest tree in the world, it is the largest when you measure its overall size. It stands about 84 meters tall, and its trunk is more than 30 meters around. Altogether, it’s estimated to weigh nearly 6,000 tons!

The tree was named after General William Sherman, a well-known figure from the American Civil War.