Another Look at the Atom

During our first week of class we spent a lot of time thinking about the atom.  Even though we have moved on to the percent composition labs (water content in popcorn and now hydrates), I don't want you to forget the basic building block that will be the heart of our study.  We will soon begin to apply our lab techniques to the composition of molecules.

So take a few minutes to think about the Atom.  Try this simulation game to review the subatomic particles, neutral atoms, ions, and isotopes.

Build An Atom Simulation

Nanotechnology is an exciting new area of science that deals with matter on the nanoscale.  A nanometer scale is essentially dealing with matter on the molecular/atomic level.   I want you to watch the video on the following website to get an introduction to nanotechnology.  You can also read the accompanying article  "How Nanotechnology Work" by Kevin Bonsor and Jonathan Strickland. Hopefully this will whet your appetite for more of the exciting developments in nanotechnology.

Introduction to Nanotechnology

Here's a picture from the website that gives some sense of the scale of nanotubes and nanosubstances.

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