ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Chalk

Chalk is a type of soft rock that is made up of lots of tiny little pieces called particles. It is usually white or light-colored and it feels powdery or rough to the touch.

Chalk is often used to write or draw on things like chalkboards or sidewalks. When you write with chalk, the chalk particles stick to the surface and leave a mark.

Chalk comes from the skeletons of tiny sea creatures called plankton that died a very long time ago. These skeletons settled on the ocean floor and over millions of years, they got buried under lots of layers of sediment.

As time went on, pressure and heat from the Earth caused the sediment to turn into rock. When this rock was later exposed, people discovered that it was made of chalk and started using it for things like writing and drawing.

Chalk can also be used in many other ways. It can be ground up into a fine powder and used as a paint additive, or it can be used to make cement and other building materials. Some people even use chalk to help reduce moisture and odor in their homes!