ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Love number

A love number is a special number that shows how squidgy and squishy the Earth is on the inside. When you squeeze something squishy like a sponge or a jelly, it kind of bounces back and wiggles around. The Earth does the same thing when it's squeezed by the gravity of the Moon or the Sun. The love number is a number that tells us how much the Earth wiggles and squirms when it's squeezed by these forces.

But how do we figure out the love number? Well, scientists use a bunch of tools and gadgets to measure how the Earth moves when it's squished. They use things like lasers and seismometers to study the vibrations and waves that travel through the Earth's surface. By analyzing these movements, they can calculate the love number to find out how squishy the Earth really is.

So why do we care about the love number? Knowing how squishy the Earth is helps us understand how earthquakes and other natural disasters happen. It also gives us clues about the Earth's deep interior and what it's made of. Plus, it's just really cool to study the secrets and mysteries of our planet!