Kaboom!: Explosions of all Kinds - Softcover

Richardson, Gillian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1554512034 ISBN 13: 9781554512034

Publisher: Annick Press, 2009

Synopsis

Who knew that some insects can create explosions to get food? Or that fireworks were once used to fight wars? Explosions are all around us, from the Big Bang that created the universe to the pop” of a seedpod, from solar flares to the explosive gases lurking in a coal mine. Full of fun facts, dramatic images and highlights of momentous blasts in history including the infamous Halifax explosion of 1917 Kaboom! examines an astonishing variety of explosions and the science behind them. Many remarkable blasts are a result of human ingenuity, from carving the faces of four American presidents into a wall of granite on Mount Rushmore, to the development of asthma inhalers based on a beetle’s explosive pulses to scare predators. The many exciting guises of explosions are revealed ways both engrossing and surprising.

About this title

About the Author:

Gillian Richardson has written over a dozen children's books. She also teaches writing and reviews books. She lives in Sorrento, British Columbia.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Introduction

A volcano blows its top in a violent eruption. Sticks of dynamite blast apart after a fuse is lit. A firecracker bursts open with a loud bang, showering multicolored sparks from the night sky. We call all of these events "explosions." And their power can be stunning. The boom from a fireworks display rattles windows. A tall concrete building will collapse in a huge dust cloud after explosive charges destroy the inside walls. Amazingly, the shock wave from a volcano erupting is strong enough to knock down a forest miles away.

What causes all that power and noise? An explosion happens when there is a rapid release of energy, usually because gases that are under extreme pressure suddenly need more space. They push with great force against whatever is holding them back. When the explosion finally happens, and the container bursts, there's usually a loud bang.

Take popcorn, for example. This puffed-up, crunchy food starts out as a hard kernel of corn. How does it become the treat we know? By simply adding heat to popcorn kernels, you start a chain reaction that ends in an explosion. Inside that hard outer coating -- called a "hull" -- is a moist, starchy substance. When it's heated to 200 degrees C (400 degrees F), the moisture turns to steam. Just as pressure builds up in a pot of boiling water and the lid begins to dance -- or if you shake a bottle of soda -- pressure builds up in the corn kernel. Once that pressure becomes too much, the kernel blows itself inside out with a pop! That's the sound of the outer shell cracking open and the steam rushing out. Your snack is ready!

Explosions can also happen when highly flammable material catches fire suddenly. This process, called "combustion," produces heat, light, and large amounts of gases, such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen. The speed at which hot gases are created is the power behind the explosion. Slowly burning material, like wood, doesn't explode because the heat and gases aren't moving fast enough to create high pressure. However, the material in gunpowder and dynamite ignites so quickly that the expanding gas can propel a bullet or shatter granite. The same process powers your car, but it is safely contained inside the engine.

Explosions that happen naturally may be destructive, but they can also help create new things. Volcanoes around the world have destroyed forests and homes. They have also formed new land with cooled, hardened lava. Massive explosions of stars may reveal the secrets of how the universe began.

People sometimes use explosions to destroy. For example, bombs are weapons intended to cause death and devastation. Yet people also use explosions in positive ways. Dynamite blows up unwanted rock or unsafe buildings, leaving room for new construction. Fireworks dazzle us with an amazing show of light, color, and sound.

Natural or artificial, explosions happen in space and on Earth, in dramatic events and everyday life. Whenever and wherever they occur, they have the power to startle us, excite us, or simply make us curious.

About this edition

• Publisher: Annick Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1554512034
• ISBN 13: 9781554512034
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 88
• Illustrator: Gray Virginia