Lesson 6 of 13
Several at once, not one
Show on a big screenEarth acts like a giant magnet. This helps keep us safe from space.
Step 1 of 4
- The atmosphere is the air.
- The hydrosphere is all the water.
- The geosphere is rocks, soil and minerals.
- The biosphere is all living things and where they live. The four work together.
The rule
A particle is a very tiny piece of matter. A cell is the basic building unit of life.
Cosmic rays and the solar wind are fast particles from space. They can harm the air and living cells. A magnetic field is the space where a magnet's force acts.
Earth has the right distance, the right size and a magnetic field. The magnetic field pushes many harmful particles away. Lose any one, and life is at risk.
Living things depend on each other and on the other three spheres. A small change, like cutting a forest, affects the other parts too.
Switch each thing on or off. Can life thrive, that is, live and grow well?
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Try the lab to finish this lesson.