ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Atom (standard)

An atom is like a tiny little building block that makes up everything in the world around us. Just like how you can stack blocks together to make a tall tower or a wide wall, atoms can bond together to make all kinds of things like wood, water, or air.

Now, when we talk about the "atom standard," it's like having a special set of rules that everyone agrees to use when we talk about atoms. Think of it like a game where everyone has to agree on the rules before we can start playing.

So, what are some of these "atom standard" rules? Well, for starters, atoms are made up of even smaller things called protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons and neutrons make up the center, or nucleus, of the atom, while electrons buzz around the outside.

Scientists have also given each type of atom a special name and symbol so that we can easily recognize them. For example, the symbol for oxygen is "O" and the symbol for carbon is "C".

But why do we need all these rules and standards for atoms? It's because understanding atoms and how they work is really important in so many different fields, like medicine, biology, chemistry, and even engineering. By using the same set of rules, scientists and researchers all over the world can communicate and work together more easily to make new discoveries and solve big problems.

So even though they're too small for us to see with our eyes, atoms play a huge role in everything we do and everything around us. And with the help of the "atom standard," we're able to keep working towards new discoveries and making the world a better place.