ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Photoionization detector

A photoionization detector (PID) is a special device that helps us detect dangerous chemicals in the air.

Imagine you are in a room filled with air. The air is made up of different gases, like oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. However, sometimes there can be other gases in the air that are harmful to our health, like chemicals that come from cleaning products, gasoline, or paints.

The PID helps us find these harmful chemicals. It works like a little flashlight that shines a special kind of light called ultraviolet light. When the light hits a harmful chemical, it can make the chemical break apart into tiny pieces called ions.

This is where the special detector part of the PID comes in. It can sense these ions and tell us which chemicals are in the air. This is really helpful because sometimes we can't see or smell these chemicals, but they can still be dangerous.

So, in summary, a PID is a tool that helps us find harmful chemicals in the air by shining a special light on them and detecting the ions they produce.