ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Impedance analogy

Have you ever tried to blow up a balloon when it’s almost full? It gets harder and harder to blow as it gets bigger, right? That’s kind of like how impedance works.

Impedance is a fancy word that means how much something resists the flow of electricity. Think of electricity like water flowing through a hose. If the hose is big and the water pressure is low, the water flows easily. But if the hose is small and the pressure is high, it’s harder for the water to pass through.

In the same way, if the impedance is low, the electricity flows easily. But if the impedance is high, it’s harder for the electricity to flow. Just like when the balloon is full, it’s harder to blow because there is more resistance.

Impedance can be like a roadblock for electricity. Have you ever seen a roadblock? It stops cars from going through, just like impedance can slow down the flow of electricity. But just like there are ways to get around a roadblock, there are ways to fix impedance too.

The most common way to fix impedance is to use something called a transformer. A transformer is like a traffic cop that directs the flow of electricity around the impedance roadblock. It takes the high impedance and changes it to a lower impedance, so the electricity can flow more easily.

So, in summary, impedance is the resistance that electricity faces when it flows through a circuit, much like how water faces resistance when it flows through a small hose. However, this resistance can be overcome with the help of a transformer, which helps to direct electricity around the impedance roadblock.