system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How does an EMP work?
gpt
An EMP is simply a massive burst of EM. 

EM is Electromagnetic Radiation. This is the generic term for Radio Waves, Microwaves, Light, UV, X-Rays, and Gamma Rays. All of these are fundamentally the same thing. They're all just photons given off by ions. But what they're called by us humans is determined by their wave-length (we call this color).

Your EMP is a very bright FLASH of a board spectrum of EM radiation (so radio waves, microwaves, etc.). This energy is **Electro**magnetic so it interacts with electrical hardware. This is how mankind is able to build cellphones, radio stations, fiber optic cables, digital x-ray machines, etc.

When you send out **A LOT** at once. You overwhelm the sensor frying it. If you send out **EVEN MORE** you make wires behave like antenna. This overloads an electrical circuits frying them.

:.:.:


**TL;DR**: Big burst of Radiowaves/Microwaves makes circuits behave like antenna Kentucky Frying all your electronics.