ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Integrated circuits

Integrated circuits are like little cities that live inside our electronics like phones, computers and even washing machines. They are made up of tiny parts called transistors and resistors which help control the flow of electricity through the circuit.

Just like a town has different buildings that all serve different purposes, integrated circuits have different parts that all work together to make the circuit function properly. Some parts help with storing information, some parts help with performing calculations, and some parts help with communicating with other parts of the circuit or with other devices.

When you take apart a phone or computer, you might see some parts that look like tiny little squares or rectangles. These are the integrated circuits. They are so small that you need a microscope to see them properly.

Overall, integrated circuits are like the tiny brains of our electronic devices, controlling everything from how fast a computer can process information to how a phone connects to the internet.