ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Compact audio cassette

Okay kiddo, so let's talk about a thing called a "compact audio cassette." It's basically a type of tape that people used to use to listen to their favorite songs before CDs and digital music existed.

It's a small plastic case that's about the size of your hand, and when you open it up, you'll see a small piece of tape called the cassette. This cassette is a continuous loop of thin plastic film that has a thin magnetic coating on one side.

When you put the cassette into a cassette player, the player's little wheels and gears start moving the tape along a bunch of tiny magnets. These magnets read the magnetic signals on the tape (which are actually the songs or sounds) and turn them into electrical signals that the player then turns into sound that you can hear through the speakers.

It was super popular in the 80s and 90s, but most people don't use them anymore because they've been replaced by CDs or digital music. But if you ever come across a cassette tape, you can still listen to it if you have a cassette player or recorder!