What are electrons?

Electrons are tiny particles that zoom around inside everything we touch.

Imagine you're playing with a balloon on a sunny day. When you rub it against your hair, it sticks to the wall, poof! That’s because electrons are moving from your hair to the balloon. Now the balloon has extra electrons and becomes negatively charged, like a little superhero that can stick to things.

Inside atoms, the tiny building blocks of everything, electrons act like helpers. They move around the nucleus (the center part of the atom), which is made of even tinier particles called protons and neutrons. These electrons are what make materials conduct electricity, light up bulbs, or let you feel warm when you touch something.

Think of electrons as little workers in a factory. Just like workers move around to do their jobs, electrons move around to help atoms connect with each other, sometimes making things shiny, sometimes making them sticky!