ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Pi-system

A pi-system is like a group of best friends who always stick together no matter what. Imagine you have a bunch of toy blocks of different shapes and sizes. If you find some blocks that can click together in a straight line, they form a pi-system.

Now, let's say you want to build a tower with those blocks. If the blocks are all separate and not in a pi-system, your tower might fall over because they are not stable. But if you click the blocks together in a pi-system, your tower will be really strong and won't fall over easily.

In science, a pi-system is a group of atoms in a molecule that are connected in a special way that makes the molecule very strong and stable. Just like the toy blocks, the atoms in a pi-system are like best friends that always stick together and make the molecule stronger.

Scientists use pi-systems to make new materials like plastics and electronics, which we use in everyday life. So, next time you build a tower with toy blocks, remember how important it is to have a strong pi-system just like the molecules that scientists make!