Where does dust come from? Does it just float around in the air?

Answer 1

It comes from several places. A large portion of dust in homes is from the dead skin cells of people and animals. There are also fibers from materials in the house (paper products, fiberglass, wood, carpet, clothing, etc.). Still more of it is soil from outside.

What makes it dust is that the particles are so fine, we humans can't tell precisely what each particle looks like, we just see a bunch of really small particles.

As to whether it just floats around, I suggest you read about Brownian motion. In a nutshell, it is well-established that particles suspended in a fluid (in this case, dust suspended in air) exhibit constant, random motion. Dust particles will eventually settle to the surface due to gravity, but any disturbance can kick them up again, and particles can remain suspended for very long times (the lighter the particle, the longer it can remain suspended).

Answer 2

Dust is universal. If u were asking abt the dust in the outer space, then yes, it floats but there is no air. If u r asking abt dust on Earth, yes it floats in the air and the remaining ones are settled everywhere - on the roads, ur desks, etc. When the wind blows or vehicle moves, it is thrown all over the place again.

Answer 3

A lot of dust is from dead skin cells, dander from animals, if you are working on a wood project and sanding or cutting wood, or any other material, you will product some form of dust. It is a big world and when the wind kicks up the smaller particles of dirt will go air borne and turn into dust.

Answer 4

Dust consists of small particles of matter light enough to be carried through the air and settle all over my house. It's made up of everything from dirt, soot, dead skin cells (human and most other animal), organic and synthetic fibers ; you name it. Any process that breaks matter into small enough particles to be carried by the wind is a process creating dust.

Answer 5

Dust is the normal debris of the erosion of everything we come in contact with during our every day activities.
I usually floats but if you don't dust every day you'll see it often lands on whatever is around.

Answer 6

Dust comes from plants, animals, humans and human activity and just about any process which occurs.

Answer 7

dust is mostly dead skin cells. you walk around the house and that crap falls off of you forming into what we know as DUST

Answer 8

I either seen, heard or read somewhere that the greater percentage of dust is dead skin cells.

Answer 9

small particulate matter that is constantly being bombarded by air molecules (why they "float")