ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Atmosphere (unit)

The atmosphere is like a big blanket of air that covers the Earth. It's made up of different gases like oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. Scientists use the word "atmosphere" as a unit to help measure how much pressure the air around us is putting on things.

Imagine you have a balloon that you blow up with air. The air inside the balloon is putting pressure on the walls of the balloon. This pressure is called atmospheric pressure. We measure this pressure in a unit called "atmospheres" (ATM).

If you go higher above the ground, the atmosphere gets thinner and the pressure gets lower. This is why it's harder to breathe the higher you go up a mountain. At sea level, the atmospheric pressure is about one atmosphere (1 ATM).

Overall, the atmosphere is super important for life on Earth because it helps protect us from harmful radiation from the sun and keeps the temperature just right for us to live!