ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Crystal radio receiver

Okay kiddo, do you know what a radio is? You do? Great! So, a crystal radio receiver is a special kind of radio that can tune into different radio stations without using electricity or batteries.

Instead of plugging it in or putting in batteries, it gets its power from the radio waves themselves. You see, all around us, there are tiny invisible waves traveling through the air called radio waves.

When you turn on your regular radio, it uses electricity to pick up those waves and turn them into sound that you can hear. But a crystal radio receiver does it differently.

Inside the crystal radio receiver, there's a special kind of rock called a crystal. When it's connected to some wire and a special little device called a tuner, it can pick up and amplify the radio waves. Then, the sound that you hear comes out of a little earphone that you put in your ear.

Now, there's one thing you need to know, kiddo: crystal radios can only pick up certain stations and the sound might not be very loud. But they're super cool because they don't need batteries or electricity to work!