Introduction to Nanotechnology

Module 2

Sense of Scale

Sense of Scale

• The purpose of this module is to provide the foundation for understanding nanoscience in terms of the scale of material being dealt with.

• Most often we will be using length as the parameter of interest.

• A secondary purpose is to develop a sense of very large numbers (like the number of atoms in a small piece of material) to very small numbers (like the size of an atom or molecule).

• Finally, this introductory module provides a review and application of exponential rules, conversion of units and basic algebra.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Sense of Scale

Sense of Scale

Basic algebraRules of

exponents,Units conversion Activity:

How small is a “nano”?

The Aspirin Calculation

Surface area to volume

Activity:Powers of Ten

Aspects of Sense of Scale

• The smallness of a “nano” something

• Powers of 10 impact

In Class Activity

• Select an object – • small (eraser, pencil, width of your palm)

• Estimate its length in cm• This object will represent one nm in length and be the very first nanometer on a very

long meter stick

• How far away will the last nanometer on the meter stick be?

An example

• If an aspirin tablet represented a length of 1 nm

• If one end of the meter stick was in New York City

• The other end of the meter stick would be in Los Angeles

© Deb Newberry 2008

The “Big Ideas” of Nanoscale Science

Sense of Scale Surface area to volume ratio Density, force and pressure Surface tension Priority of forces at different size scales Material/Surface properties

Understanding of these concepts requires an integration of the disciplines of math, biology, chemistry, physics and engineering

© Deb Newberry 2008

The “Big Ideas” of Nanoscale Science*

Sense of Scale Surface area to volume ratio Density, force and pressure Surface tension Priority of forces at different size scales Material/Surface properties

© Deb Newberry 2008

Macro – Micro - Nano

Macro or Conventional MachinesBuild and assemble

(m - mm) MicromachinesBuild in place

(0.1 mm - 0.1 µm)

NanosystemsBrought together by forces at the atomic level

(100- 1 nm)Source: TVI

© Deb Newberry 2008

Source: Starpharma.com

A red blood cell, ~ 7000 nm

A bacterium, ~ 1000 nm

A virus, ~ 100 nm

Aspirin, ~1 nm

Metric Prefix Table

Prefix Symbol Multiplier Exponential

yotta Y 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,00

0 1024

zetta Z 1,000,000,000,00

0,000,000,000 1021

exa E 1,000,000,000,00

0,000,000 1018

peta P 1,000,000,000,00

0,000 1015

tera T 1,000,000,000,00

0 1012

giga G 1,000,000,000 109

mega M 1,000,000 106 kilo k 1,000 103

hecto h 100 102 deca da 10 101

1 100 deci d 0.1 10¯1 centi c 0.01 10¯2 milli m 0.001 10¯3

micro µ 0.000001 10¯6 nano n 0.000000001 10¯9

pico p 0.000000000001 10¯12

femto f 0.000000000000

001 10¯15

atto a 0.000000000000

000001 10¯18

zepto z 0.000000000000

000000001 10¯21

yocto y 0.000000000000000000000001

10¯24

Source: Nanotech-now.com