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Curious Questions from Curious Minds!
Welcome to Curiopedia, where imagination and discovery take shape! Discover something new today with these curious questions from children. Click on the ‘View Answer’ button to find out the answer! If you want your (child’s) curious question answered and featured here, submit it now.
Month Year
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Bird power?
Why don't birds get electrocuted when sitting on power lines?
Md Umair Ahmed , Bidar, Karnataka
View AnswerElectricity flows by the movement of electrons through conductors. The copper wire in electrical wires is a great conductor of electricity. Copper allows electricity to flow easily along its surface and electricity flows along the path of least resistance. Birds don't get a shock when they sit on electrical wires because they are not good conductors of electricity. Their cells and tissues do not offer electrons an easier route than the copper wire they're already traveling along. As a result, the electricity bypasses the birds and keeps flowing along the wire instead.
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Near or far?
How far is Proxima Centauri from Earth?
Anay Jajodia , Bengaluru, Karnataka
View AnswerProxima Centauri is a small, low-mass star and it is estimated to be 4.243 light years away from Earth. A light year is a unit of length used to express astronomical distances and measures about 9.46 trillion km. That’s a really long way! Its Latin name means the "nearest [star] of Centaurus".
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Heat ’em up
How does a greenhouse trap heat?
Pranami P L , Kollam, Kerala
View AnswerSunlight passes through the glass of the greenhouse, and this gets absorbed by plants and the greenhouse floor. The light is converted to heat, which cannot escape through the glass and hence stays inside the greenhouse keeping the greenhouse warm. Heated by sunlight, the warm air rises pushing the cooler air to the bottom.The process keeps repeating. This is why greenhouses are warmer than the outside during the day — even in wintertime — and also why they retain heat during the night as well.
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Weigh it up
Why do trucks and buses have heavier wheels, compared to cars or scooters?
Blessy Onyx , Vellore, Tamil Nadu
View AnswerIt all comes down to weight. Buses and trucks carry much heavier load when compared to cars or scooters. So, in order to carry a greater load, the vehicle would need a stronger support. That’s why the the rim size and the rubber tyre are much bigger. It’s kind of like why elephants have much bigger feet compared to us.