The Nano World
Shrink a material down to a few nanometres and it starts to behave in surprising ways. Learn what nanoparticles are, why their huge surface area makes them so useful, and how their risks and other materials compare.
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Small is different 🔬
**Nanoparticles** are so tiny that a few hundred in a row would barely stretch across a single human hair. At this scale, materials can behave very differently from normal, opening up a whole new world of chemistry.
Words to know 🔑
Four ideas run through this topic:
Nano vs bulk ⚖️
The same material can behave differently as a nanoparticle.
How small? 🎯
What is the size range of a nanoparticle?
- Between 1 and 100 nanometres
- Between 1 and 100 millimetres
- Between 1 and 100 centimetres
- Between 1 and 100 metres
Why use nano? 🔗
- Sunscreen
- Catalyst
- Medicine
- Electronics
- Blocks UV light while staying clear on the skin
- A huge surface area speeds up reactions
- Small enough to carry drugs inside the body
- Builds tiny, fast components
The surface secret 💡
The power of nanoparticles comes from their surface. As a particle gets smaller, a much larger share of its atoms sit on the surface, so the surface area to volume ratio rises sharply. More surface means more places for reactions to happen.
Surface to volume 🔢
An interactive activity.
Nano in use ✅
Which THREE are real uses of nanoparticles?
- Sunscreens that block UV light
- Catalysts that speed up reactions
- Delivering medicine inside the body
- Building the main frame of a bridge
- Burning them as a household fuel
Small to large 🪜
An interactive activity.
Complete the idea 🧩
A _____ is between 1 and 100 nanometres across. Because it is so small, a large share of its atoms are on the _____, giving it a high surface area to _____ ratio. This makes nanoparticles useful as _____. However, their effects on health are not fully _____.
Match the material 🔀
- Ceramic, such as glass
- Polymer, such as plastic
- Metal, such as copper
- Composite, such as fibreglass
- Hard and brittle, and does not conduct
- Light and flexible, and easily moulded
- Strong, and conducts heat and electricity
- Combines two materials for the best of both
Right material 🧭
An interactive activity.
True or not? 🖍️
An interactive activity.
Explain nanoparticles ✍️
An interactive activity.