woodchurch science

we have received a question about temperatures in the desert and why they differ so widely from day to night.

the reasons for this are twofold: firstly geographic location (or latitude) - deserts are normally nearer the equator so consequently receive more daytime sunlight and therefore heat up more. the second reason is that the ambient temperature is often controlled by the ratio of land to water: land heats up and cools down much faster than bodies of water making any climate variations larger than more temperate zones.

hope this answers your question. thanks for asking.

lewis judge (7ye) has posted a question asking how chameleons change colour. the chameleon has several cell layers beneath its transparent skin. these layers are the source of the chameleon’s colour change and some of the layers contain pigments, while others just reflect light to create new colours.

several factors contribute to the colour change. a popular misconception is that chameleons change colour to match their environment. this isn’t true. light, temperature, and emotional state commonly bring about a chameleon’s change in colour. the chameleon will most often change between green, brown and grey, which coincidently, often matches the background colours of their habitat.

hope this answers your question lewis! thanks for asking.

if you have any burning science questions you need answering then post them here. the science department will do their best to get the answers for you.

first off, does sound travel faster in the dark or in the light? any thoughts? make a comment below…