Au facts for kids

Au, AU, au, or a.u. are short ways to say different things. It's like how "USA" can mean the United States of America, or "LOL" means "laughing out loud." These letters can stand for many ideas in science, technology, arts, and even places around the world!

Science and Technology

Sometimes, "Au" or "AU" are used in science and technology to make things shorter and easier to understand.

Computing and Tech

In the world of computers and tech, these letters can mean:

• .au: This is the internet ending for websites from Australia. Think of it like the ".com" or ".org" you see, but specifically for Australia.
• Au file format: This is an old way to save sound files, like songs or recordings, made by a company called Sun Microsystems.
• Audio Units: If you use Apple computers, this is a special system that lets different sound programs work together, like adding cool effects to music.
• Adobe Audition: This is a computer program that people use to edit and mix sounds.
• Windows Update: This is how Microsoft Windows computers get important updates and fixes automatically.
• Windows 10 Anniversary Update: This was a big update for Windows 10 that came out in August 2016.

Physics and Chemistry

In science, "Au" and "AU" are very important:

• Gold: The chemical symbol for the shiny, yellow metal gold is Au. This comes from its Latin name, aurum. Gold is a chemical element, which means it's a basic building block of matter.
• Absorbance unit: In science, when you measure how much light a substance soaks up, you might see "absorbance units."
• Atomic units: These are special units of measurement used by scientists who study tiny things like atoms. They make calculations easier for very small scales.
• Astronomical unit: This is a huge unit of length! It's often used to measure distances in space, especially in our solar system. One astronomical unit (AU) is roughly the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. That's about 150 million kilometers (93 million miles)!

Arts and Entertainment

"Au" or "AU" can also pop up in music, magazines, and stories.

Music and Magazines

• AU (band): This is the name of an experimental pop music group led by Luke Wyland.
• Alternative Ulster: This used to be the name of a music magazine from Northern Ireland. Now it's just called AU.

Stories and Media

• Alternative universe (fan fiction): In fan fiction, an "AU" means an "alternative universe." This is when fans write stories about their favorite characters, but they change some of the main facts about their world. For example, a story where a superhero is a normal student.
• Au Co: This is the name of a fairy from old Vietnamese stories.
• Age of Ultron: This was a popular comic book series from Marvel Comics that came out in 2013.
• A.U: This is a brand and media series from China.

Organizations

Many groups and companies use "AU" as a short name.

Companies and Unions

• au (mobile phone company): This is a big company in Japan that provides mobile phone services.
• African Union: This is a group of countries in Africa that work together on important issues, like peace and development.
• Americans United for Separation of Church and State: This organization works to keep government and religion separate in the United States.
• Athletic Union: In British universities, this is a group that manages all the sports clubs.
• Austral Líneas Aéreas: This was an airline company from Argentina. Its flight code was AU.
• Auxiliary Units: During World War II, these were secret groups in the United Kingdom trained to resist if their country was invaded.

Universities

Many universities around the world also use "AU" in their names. Here are just a few examples:

• Ajou University in South Korea
• Andhra University in India
• Aarhus University in Denmark
• Aberystwyth University in the United Kingdom
• Auckland University in New Zealand
• American University in Washington, D.C., USA
• Auburn University in Alabama, USA

Places

You might find "Au" as part of place names, especially in Europe.

• Australia: The country code for Australia is AU.
• Au, Guinea: A place in the Kankan Region of Guinea.

Austria

• Austria: Sometimes, AU is used informally as a short code for the country Austria.
• Au, Vorarlberg: A town in Austria.
• Au am Leithaberge: Another place in Austria.

Germany

• Au (Munich): A district in the city of Munich, Germany.
• Au (Schwarzwald): A town in the Black Forest region of Germany.

Switzerland

• Au, St. Gallen: A municipality in Switzerland.
• Au, Zürich: Another municipality in Switzerland.

Vehicles

• Ford Falcon (AU): This was a type of family car made in Australia by Ford.
• Vought AU: This was a version of the F4U Corsair aircraft used by the US Marine Corps after World War II.

Other Uses

• Aú: This is a special cartwheel move used in Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art that combines dance, acrobatics, and music.
• Au (surname): This is a Chinese family name.
• Au language: This is a language spoken in Papua New Guinea.
• a'u: This is the Hawaiian name for the Pacific blue marlin, a very large fish.

See also

A friendly robot

In Spanish: Au para niños