Abrasive

Okay kiddo, have you ever felt your hands after playing outside in the dirt? They might feel a little rough or gritty from all the dirt and sand that stuck to them, right? Well, that's kind of what an abrasive is.

An abrasive is a material that is really rough and scratchy, like sandpaper. It's used to rub against things to make them smoother or to wear them down. You know how you use a pencil eraser to rub away mistakes? That's kind of like using an abrasive, except pencils aren't usually rough enough to make a real difference.

Some common examples of abrasives are sand, gravel, and diamond dust. They're used for things like polishing metal, smoothing down wood or plastic, or even cleaning your teeth at the dentist's office!

So, basically, an abrasive is a rough material that can be used to scrub things clean or make them smoother, kind of like sandpaper.