It’s time to get outside in the warm sun and participate in outdoor fun. In many areas, the extremely warm temperatures and higher humidity can result in a whole lot of sweating! Sweat sometimes is embarrassing and might be smelly, but very necessary! Why is this?
What is Sweat?
Sweat is a clear, salty liquid produced by glands in the skin. Sweating is how your body cools itself. Sweat is mainly produced under the arms, feet, and palms. When sweat mixes with bacteria on the skin, it causes a not so pleasant smell.
Fun Facts about Sweat
- Most people have between two and five million sweat glands in their body.
- Women have more sweat glands than men, but men’s glands produce more sweat than women’s.
- Some people have salty sweat, but not all.
- There is a difference between stress sweat and regular sweat. Regular sweat is made up of water, salt, and potassium. It helps cool the body down as it evaporates. Stress sweat is released by a different gland and is made up of fatty acids and proteins. It doesn’t evaporate as quickly.
- Athletes can sweat off two to six percent of their body weight.
Sweat and Evaporation
In order for sweat to cool your body temperature, the water must evaporate. If sweat drips off or is wiped off with a towel, you won’t cool off by evaporation. When a molecule gains enough energy, it can break free from the bonds that hold it together and transform it into water vapor. This is evaporation. The loss of energy cools the surface of your skin. Who knew there was so much science going on when you sweat!
Need Summer Science Ideas?
- Read the Fuddlebrook story, The Case of the Missing Water and try the evaporation experiment in the back of the book. You might be like Freddie and think that someone is stealing your water, but it’s just science at work.
- Want to learn more about the human body? Read the Fuddlebrook story Snot, Sniffles, and Sneezes and make your very own snot. The recipe is found in the back of the book. It’s gross, but a whole lot of fun!
- Finally, The Fuddlebrook book Freddie Plays a Joke, is a hilarious way to learn about the components of blood. A blood model recipe can be found in the back of the book.
Whether you are staying home this summer and looking for science activities or teaching summer sessions virtually or in person, fun science is a must to keep learners engaged. There is no better time for kids to fall in love with science. Our future needs them!
So go ahead and break a sweat….see what happens!