ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Wood tar

Okay, so you know when you go outside and you see trees? Those trees have something inside of them called resin. Resin is important because it helps the tree heal any cuts or injuries it gets.

Now, when people cut down those trees and use the wood for things like building houses or making paper, they can take the resin out of the leftover pieces of wood. They do this by heating the wood up in a special way until the resin melts out.

Once the resin is out, it cools down and becomes a sticky substance called wood tar. People have been using this stuff for thousands of years! They use it to waterproof things like boats or roofs, as a kind of glue to hold things together, and even as medicine for things like cuts or wounds.

So in summary, wood tar is like a sticky substance that is made from a tree's resin and can be used for all sorts of things like glue or medicine.