ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Unicode subscripts and superscripts

Okay kiddo, do you know how we sometimes want to write a small letter or number that goes below or above a bigger letter or number? For example, we might want to write "H₂O" instead of "H2O" to show that there are two atoms of hydrogen. This is where unicode subscripts and superscripts come in!

Unicode is a special language that computers use to understand characters like letters, numbers, and symbols. Superscripts and subscripts are extra characters in unicode that we can use to make our writing look fancier or more organized.

A subscript is a small letter or number that we write just below the baseline of a bigger letter or number. It's like a tiny friend that likes to hang out at the bottom! We use subscripts to show things like chemical formulas (like H₂O) or mathematical equations (like x₂).

A superscript is a small letter or number that we write just above the baseline of a bigger letter or number. It's like a little buddy that likes to float up high! We use superscripts for things like exponents (like 2³) or to show units of measurement (like kg/m²).

So, to sum it up, unicode subscripts and superscripts are special characters that we can use to make our writing look cooler and more organized when we want to write small letters or numbers below or above bigger ones. Cool, huh?