ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Mercury probe

Hi there! So, a mercury probe is a tool that scientists use to study things. It's called a "probe" because it's like a little stick that they can use to poke and prod at whatever they're studying.

The "mercury" part of the name comes from the fact that the probe is made out of a metal called mercury. Mercury is a special kind of metal because it's liquid at room temperature, which means scientists can use it to make a really tiny probe that can move around easily.

When scientists use the mercury probe, they put it under a microscope and use it to touch and measure things that are really small. Imagine you're trying to measure something really tiny with your finger, but your finger is too big to fit. The mercury probe is like a super small finger that can fit in really tiny spaces.

Scientists can use a mercury probe to study things like cells or molecules. They can touch different parts of the cell or molecule and see how it reacts. This helps them learn more about how things work and how they can be used to help people.

So, in short, a mercury probe is a small stick made out of liquid metal that scientists use to study really tiny things. It's kind of like using your finger, but much smaller and more precise!