ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Natural units

Natural units are a way of measuring things that scientists like to use to make their calculations easier. It's like playing with toy blocks instead of trying to build a big complicated puzzle all at once! Instead of using things like inches, pounds or seconds, scientists can use natural units that are based on the properties of the world around us, like the speed of light or the strength of gravity.

Think about it like this. If you were trying to race with your friends, you might all decide to use the same size block to see who was the fastest. That's kind of like using a natural unit - scientists all agree to use the same units, based on things that are universal and unchanging. That way, they can work together and compare their results more easily.

For example, if a scientist wants to measure the speed of light, they might use natural units based on the speed of light in a vacuum. This is because the speed of light is one of the most fundamental constants in the universe - it doesn't change, no matter where you are or what you're doing. So using natural units based on the speed of light makes sense!

Using natural units also helps scientists to simplify mathematical equations. When you use natural units, you can often leave out constants and other fiddly bits that would make equations writing difficult. That means scientists can focus on the important stuff and get their results much quicker!

So, natural units are a way of measuring things that's based on the properties of the universe around us. They help scientists to work together, simplify complex equations, and make calculations easier to understand. And just like playing with toy blocks, it can be a lot of fun to use natural units in science!