Smoke facts for kids

Smoke rising from a fire

Smoke is like a cloudy mix of tiny, solid bits that forms when things burn, like wood or paper. Think of it as a mini-cloud made of ash and other particles.

Even though it looks cool sometimes, smoke can be harmful. If you breathe in too much smoke, especially from a house fire, it can hurt your lungs and make it hard to breathe. Not all smoke is easy to see; some types are actually invisible!

Smoke and Our Environment

Factories and power plants often release a lot of smoke into the air. This smoke contains chemicals that can pollute our environment. When these chemicals fall back to the ground, they can make the soil and water dirty.

This pollution can then affect plants and animals. Even humans can absorb these chemicals from the air, water, or food. It's important to find ways to reduce the amount of smoke released into our atmosphere.

Fun with Dry Ice Smoke

Have you ever seen a spooky fog effect in a movie or at a show? Sometimes, this "smoke" is actually made from something called dry ice. When dry ice is put into water, it creates a thick, misty fog.

This fog looks a lot like smoke but is completely safe to be around. Movie makers and performers use dry ice to create cool visual effects without any real burning or harmful smoke.

Related Pages

• Pollution

Images for kids

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  Smoke from a bee smoker, used in beekeeping

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  Chemical composition distribution of volatile organic compounds released in smoke from a variety of solid fuels

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  Volatility distribution of volatile organic compound emissions in wood smoke

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  Oil fires and smoke, after Iraqi forces set fire to oil wells during the First Gulf War

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  Smoke from a grassland fire in Northern Mexico during a heat wave occurring at the same time as the forest fire season in Mexico.

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  Emission of soot in the fumes of a large diesel truck, without particle filters.

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  Smoke from a wildfire

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  Smoke rising up from the smoldering remains of a recently extingished mountain fire in South Africa.

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  Processing fish while being exposed to smoke

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  Reduced visibility due to wildfire smoke in Sheremetyevo Airport, Moscow, 7 August 2010

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  Red smoke carried by a parachutist of the UK Lightning Bolts Army Parachute Display Team

See also

In Spanish: Humo para niños