NISE Network: Cutting It Down to Nano Outreach Activity

home » Website Detail Page

Detail Page

Please be aware that our automated link checking software has listed this item as potentially having a problem.

published by the Materials Research and Engineering Center

This is an educator's guide for a classroom activity to help students understand just how small the "nanoscale" is. Materials are all common classroom supplies (paper, ruler, scissors, calculator, tape). The challenge presented to students is: cut a piece of paper in half as many times as you can until you reach 10 nanometers wide. The students first predict how many times they will have to cut the paper. They may do actual measuring or use a calculator.

Editor's Note: Of course, no one will be able to cut the paper this small. Expect students to gain an appreciation of just how small 10 nanometers is, and to spark discussion of how scientists measure things this small. This helps when they start to study atomic models. Teachers can extend the learning by asking students to measure their smallest cuts, then discuss error and uncertainty in measurement.

This resource contains a lesson plan, training video for teachers, comprehensive background information, and links to images obtained with scanning probe microscopy. This resource is part of the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE) outreach program.

Please note that this resource requires Quicktime.

http://www.education.mrsec.wisc.edu/EExpo/cutting/index.html

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Education Practices - Active Learning = Modeling General Physics - Measurement/Units = Scaling Modern Physics - Atomic Physics = Atomic Models - Nanoscience	- Middle School - High School	- Instructional Material = Activity = Instructor Guide/Manual = Lesson/Lesson Plan

Intended Users	Formats	Ratings
- Educators - Learners	- application/pdf - image/jpeg - text/html - video/quicktime	Currently 0.0/5 Want to rate this material? Login here!

Mirror:: On August 18, 2020, our automated link checker listed this item as potentially having a problem. Please be aware that this issue may still exist.; http://education.mrsec.wisc.edu/3…
Access Rights:: Free access
Restriction:: © 2005 University of Wisconsin-Madison
Keywords:: SPM, SPM images, microscopy, nanoscience, nanotechnology
Record Creator:: Metadata instance created September 14, 2010 by Caroline Hall
Record Updated:: August 14, 2016 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update when Cataloged:: May 12, 2008
Other Collections:: The Physics Front

Post a new comment on this item

AAAS Benchmark Alignments (2008 Version)

3. The Nature of Technology

3A. Technology and Science

9-12: 3A/H1. Technological problems and advances often create a demand for new scientific knowledge, and new technologies make it possible for scientists to extend their research in new ways or to undertake entirely new lines of research. The very availability of new technology itself often sparks scientific advances.

11. Common Themes

11B. Models

6-8: 11B/M1. Models are often used to think about processes that happen too slowly, too quickly, or on too small a scale to observe directly. They are also used for processes that are too vast, too complex, or too dangerous to study.

12. Habits of Mind

12B. Computation and Estimation

9-12: 12B/H7. Trace the source of any large disparity between an estimate and the calculated answer.

AAAS Benchmark Alignments (1993 Version)

11. COMMON THEMES

D. Scale

11D (9-12) #2. Because different properties are not affected to the same degree by changes in scale, large changes in scale typically change the way that things work in physical, biological, or social systems.

12. HABITS OF MIND

B. Computation and Estimation

12B (9-12) #6. Express and compare very small and very large numbers using powers-of-ten notation.

ComPADRE is beta testing Citation Styles!

Record Link

<a href="https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=10330">Materials Research and Engineering Center. NISE Network: Cutting It Down to Nano Outreach Activity. Madison: Materials Research and Engineering Center, May 12, 2008.</a>

AIP Format

(Materials Research and Engineering Center, Madison, 2005), WWW Document, (http://www.education.mrsec.wisc.edu/EExpo/cutting/index.html).

AJP/PRST-PER

NISE Network: Cutting It Down to Nano Outreach Activity (Materials Research and Engineering Center, Madison, 2005), <http://www.education.mrsec.wisc.edu/EExpo/cutting/index.html>.

APA Format

NISE Network: Cutting It Down to Nano Outreach Activity. (2008, May 12). Retrieved April 23, 2024, from Materials Research and Engineering Center: http://www.education.mrsec.wisc.edu/EExpo/cutting/index.html

Chicago Format

Materials Research and Engineering Center. NISE Network: Cutting It Down to Nano Outreach Activity. Madison: Materials Research and Engineering Center, May 12, 2008. http://www.education.mrsec.wisc.edu/EExpo/cutting/index.html (accessed 23 April 2024).

MLA Format

NISE Network: Cutting It Down to Nano Outreach Activity. Madison: Materials Research and Engineering Center, 2005. 12 May 2008. 23 Apr. 2024 <http://www.education.mrsec.wisc.edu/EExpo/cutting/index.html>.

BibTeX Export Format

@misc{ Title = {NISE Network: Cutting It Down to Nano Outreach Activity}, Publisher = {Materials Research and Engineering Center}, Volume = {2024}, Number = {23 April 2024}, Month = {May 12, 2008}, Year = {2005} }

Refer Export Format

%T NISE Network: Cutting It Down to Nano Outreach Activity %D May 12, 2008 %I Materials Research and Engineering Center %C Madison %U http://www.education.mrsec.wisc.edu/EExpo/cutting/index.html %O application/pdf

EndNote Export Format

%0 Electronic Source %D May 12, 2008 %T NISE Network: Cutting It Down to Nano Outreach Activity %I Materials Research and Engineering Center %V 2024 %N 23 April 2024 %8 May 12, 2008 %9 application/pdf %U http://www.education.mrsec.wisc.edu/EExpo/cutting/index.html

Disclaimer: ComPADRE offers citation styles as a guide only. We cannot offer interpretations about citations as this is an automated procedure. Please refer to the style manuals in the Citation Source Information area for clarifications.

Citation Source Information

The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual.

The APA Style presented is based on information from APA Style.org: Electronic References.

The Chicago Style presented is based on information from Examples of Chicago-Style Documentation.

The MLA Style presented is based on information from the MLA FAQ.

NISE Network: Cutting It Down to Nano Outreach Activity:

Is Part Of Internships in Public Science Education: Educator Resources

A link to the full set of educator resources developed by the University of Wisconsin NISE project (Nanoscale Informal Science Education). Includes activities for grades 6-12 on carbon nanotubes, ferrofluids, nanotechnology, liquid crystal sensors, nano-fabrics, nano-sugar, and magnetoresistance.

relation by Caroline Hall

See details...

Know of another related resource? Login to relate this resource to it.