ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Radiolysis

Hey there kiddo! Do you know what radiation means? It's energy that comes from tiny particles called atoms. Sometimes, this energy can be so strong that it can break apart other atoms and molecules, and that's what we call radiolysis!

Let's imagine a glass of water. Inside the water, there are tiny molecules called H2O that make up the water we drink. Now let's say we put this glass of water in front of a very strong source of radiation. The energy from the radiation can hit these H2O molecules and break them apart.

When the H2O molecules break apart, they become different things. One of them might become a molecule of hydrogen gas (H2) and another one might become a molecule of oxygen gas (O2). This process is called radiolysis because radiation is causing the H2O molecules to break apart.

Radiolysis can happen in lots of different substances, not just water. Scientists use radiolysis to study things like how materials react to radiation, or how radiation affects the human body. Cool, right?
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