Facts for kids: Why do I fart and why do they smell?

lighting a fart

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

Farts are caused by trapped air, which comes from a variety of sources such as air swallowed while chewing or drinking, gas seeping into the intestines from blood, chemical reactions in the intestines, and best of all, bacteria living in our guts.

A standard bum trumpet consists of mostly nitrogen and hydrogen, with carbon dioxide, methane, oxygen, and hydrogen sulfide gas. The noise is the result of a vibrating sphincter, although you can amplify the sound of your fart with a chair. Personally, I prefer a wooden floor for booming out the backdoor.

Sulfur is what makes your fart stink so much. Eating food high in sulphur will give you eye-watering farts. Start with eating beans and move onto cabbage. Maybe eat some eggs as well. Then take a trip on a crowded bus or train.

And don’t believe people when they say they don’t fart. The average person produces about half a litre of farts every single day.

Short answer: Do we really need to go over this again? I can only come up with so many euphemisms for farting.

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