Have you ever seen something nano-sized? Of course not. If you could, all you would see is millions of tiny dots. That’s because atoms, molecules, and cells make up of everything that is there in the universe.
Now, what if you could pick and arrange such nano-sized particles just like the pieces of LEGO? You could create anything beyond anyone’s expectations. That’s nanotechnology does. Nanotech, as a field of research, is growing at a fast pace.
But, how does nanotech work? How can you create new materials? Let’s discuss.
Learning Nanotechnology and Its History:
Nanotech is all about atoms and molecules. It is the study of microscopic elements. Many scientific fields such as chemistry, biology, and engineering now use this technology for various purposes.
Nanotech started with a talk called ‘There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom.” Physicist Richard Feynman delivered this talk on December 29, 1959. The word nanotechnology was not in use back then. After more than a decade professor Norio Taniguchi coined the term ‘Nanotechnology’. In 1981, the scanning tunnelling microscope was developed, which could view every individual atom.
How Does Nanotech Work?
Nanotechnology means one should work on a nanoscale. One nanometer is a billion times smaller than a meter.
In one inch, there are 25,400,000 nanometers. For, eg, one sheet of newspaper is around 100,000 nanometers thick, and a human body is a combination of millions of living cells. However, a nanometer is still more massive than the atomic scale. An atom’s diameter is of around 0.1 nm. The atom’s nucleus is about 0.00001 nanometer.
When working on a nanoscale, the reference to structures is usually between 1 to 100 nanometers. So, once you get to this atomic level, new particles appear with several properties.
For, eg, gold looks different on a nanoscale and is composed of colourful particles. These nanoparticles of gold are used in computers for speed and can be used to create excellent medical treatments, even for severe diseases like cancer.
RECAP :
Let’s take a stroll down the memory lane of everything we’ve discussed so far.
- Nano tech is the study of minimal elements such as atoms and molecules.
- Everything around us consists of atoms and molecules.
- A human body consists of millions of tiny living cells.
- Norio Taniguchi coined the term “nanotechnology.”
- Many companies and industries use nanotechnology to produce or improve their products.
What did you learn from our article? Do you know anything new about nanotechnology? If yes, please share them with us in the comments below!
You might also like:
