Math - Tessellations: Tessellations are patterns made of repeating shapes that cover a plane without gaps or overlaps. Can you think of a regular polygon (a polygon with equal side lengths and angles) other than a square that can tessellate a plane?
Chemistry - Elements: There are two liquids that cannot mix: oil and water. What property of their molecules causes them to not mix, and how does this relate to the concept of polarity?
Astronomy - Phases of the Moon: As the Moon orbits the Earth, we see different parts of its illuminated surface, resulting in the various phases of the Moon. Can you explain why we have phases of the Moon and what causes the cycle of phases to repeat?
Biology - Photosynthesis: Green plants produce oxygen and glucose through a process called photosynthesis. What are the two main inputs for photosynthesis, and how do plants obtain them?
Math - Set Theory: In set theory, we use Venn diagrams to visualize relationships between sets. Imagine two overlapping circles, one representing people who like ice cream and the other representing people who like pizza. How would you represent people who like both ice cream and pizza in this diagram?
Geology - Plate Tectonics: The Earth’s lithosphere is divided into large plates that move over time. When two plates move away from each other, new crust forms between them. What is the process called that forms new crust at these boundaries, and how does it occur?
Math - Probability: A bag contains 4 red marbles, 6 blue marbles, and 5 green marbles. If you randomly draw one marble from the bag, what is the probability that it is either red or green?
Environmental Science - Global Warming: The greenhouse effect is a natural process that helps regulate the Earth’s temperature. However, human activities have increased the greenhouse effect, leading to global warming. What human activities contribute to this increase, and what are some consequences of global warming?
Math - Fractals: Fractals are complex patterns that exhibit self-similarity, meaning they look similar at different scales. One example is the Sierpinski triangle. Can you describe how the Sierpinski triangle is constructed and why it’s considered a fractal?
Meteorology - Weather: Clouds form when warm, moist air rises and cools. What causes the air to rise, and why do clouds often produce rain or other precipitation?
Math - Tessellations: An equilateral triangle can tessellate a plane. When six equilateral triangles meet at a point, their angles add up to 360 degrees, allowing them to fill the plane without gaps or overlaps.
Chemistry - Elements: Oil and water do not mix because of the difference in polarity between their molecules. Water is a polar molecule, meaning it has a positive and negative end, while oil is nonpolar. Polar and nonpolar molecules don’t mix well due to their different interactions with other molecules.
Astronomy - Phases of the Moon: Phases of the Moon occur because the Moon orbits the Earth and reflects sunlight. As the Moon orbits, the angle between the Earth, Moon, and Sun changes, causing different portions of the Moon’s illuminated side to be visible from Earth. The cycle of phases repeats as the Moon completes its orbit.
Biology - Photosynthesis: The two main inputs for photosynthesis are carbon dioxide and water. Plants obtain carbon dioxide from the air through tiny pores called stomata, and they absorb water through their roots from the soil.
Math - Set Theory: In the Venn diagram, people who like both ice cream and pizza would be represented by the overlapping region of the two circles.
Geology - Plate Tectonics: The process that forms new crust at the boundaries of diverging plates is called seafloor spreading. It occurs as molten rock (magma) from the mantle rises to fill the gap between the plates, solidifying to form new crust.
Math - Probability: There are 4 red marbles and 5 green marbles, making a total of 9 red or green marbles. There are 15 marbles in total, so the probability of drawing a red or green marble is 9/15, which simplifies to 3/5.
Environmental Science - Global Warming: Human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes release large amounts of greenhouse gases (like carbon dioxide and methane) into the atmosphere, increasing the greenhouse effect. Consequences of global warming include rising sea levels, more frequent and severe weather events, and negative impacts on ecosystems and human health.
Math - Fractals: The Sierpinski triangle is constructed by starting with an equilateral triangle, removing the inner triangle formed by connecting the midpoints of its sides, and then repeating this process for the remaining smaller triangles indefinitely. It is considered a fractal because it exhibits self-similarity at different scales; the pattern remains the same as you zoom in or out.
Meteorology - Weather: Air rises due to various factors, such as heating from the Earth’s surface or being forced upward by encountering a mountain or other obstacle. As the air rises, it cools and the water vapor within it condenses to form clouds. When the condensed water droplets or ice crystals in the clouds combine and become large enough, they fall as precipitation.