ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Ablative armor

Ablative armor is like a superhero suit that protects the person wearing it from bad guys. But instead of being made of strong metal or super tough fabric, it's made of a special material that can absorb and withstand attacks.

Picture a slice of bread. When you toast it, the outside gets crispy and dark while the inside stays soft. That’s kind of like how ablative armor works. When something like a bullet or a bomb hits the armor, the outer layer gets super hot and melts away, taking the force of the attack with it. This keeps the inner layer safe so the person wearing the armor stays protected.

Think of it like a shield made of ice. When an enemy shoots at the shield, the ice melts, but the person behind the shield stays safe because the ice absorbs the attack. Ablative armor is a bit like that, but it's made of special materials like ceramics, polymers or composites.

Ablative armor is really good at keeping people safe from heat and impact because it can absorb a lot of energy without breaking. To make sure it works properly, scientists design it to break down in a predictable way, so that the armor lasts long enough to protect the wearer, but not so long that it becomes heavy and doesn't work well.

So, in summary, ablative armor is like a special superhero suit made out of a material that absorbs and withstands attacks like bullets and bombs by melting away like toast, while keeping the person wearing it safe from harm.