Proton nuclear magnetic resonance

Have you heard of magnets? They are things that can stick to metal or each other. Now, imagine that we have really tiny magnets that are part of atoms. One type of atom that has these tiny magnets is called a proton.

Protons are like little magnets that can spin around. When they spin, they create a tiny magnetic field. For example, if you hold a bar magnet next to a proton, the proton might start spinning and moving towards or away from the bar magnet depending on the poles.

Scientists can use these tiny magnets in protons (also called nuclear magnetism) to study atoms. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a way of measuring the magnetic fields of protons in a molecule. By doing this, we can learn more about the molecule and how it's put together.

Think of it like a fingerprint for the molecule. Just like how each person has a unique fingerprint, each molecule has a unique magnetic fingerprint that we can use to identify it. Scientists can use NMR to figure out what the molecule looks like, how many proton magnets it has, and how they are arranged.

This information can be really useful in studying things like chemicals, medicines, and even living organisms. So, in short, NMR is a way of using the tiny magnets in atoms to learn more about the molecules around us.