Education and Outreach: Nanotechnology Activity Guides
NanoSolutions
Audience: Middle and high school
students
Time Needed: 15-20 minutes
Objectives:
- To illustrate the idea of "nano", or "one billionth", through decreasing concentrations of a solution
Related Wisconsin Model Academic Science Standards:
- C.4.2 Use the science content being learned to ask questions, plan investigations, make observations, make predictions, and offer explanations
- C.4.4 Use simple science equipment safely and effectively, including rulers, balances, graduated cylinders, hand lenses, thermometers, and computers, to collect data relevant to questions and investigations
- D.4.4 Observe and describe changes in form, temperature, color, speed, and direction of objects and construct explanations for the changes
Activity Materials:
- Food coloring
- Ten test tubes and a test tube rack
- Droppers
Activity Instructions:
Introduction (2 minutes)
Explain to students that the prefix "nano-" means "one billionth
of". A nanometer is one billionth the length of a meter. A nanogram is
one billionth as heavy as a gram. It's very difficult to divide an object into
one billion pieces. However, we can create a solution that has a concentration
of one part of food coloring in a billion parts of solution. One part per billion
is equivalent to one nanogram per milliliter.
Creating Solutions (5-10 minutes)
Arrange the ten test tubes in a stand. Place ten drops of food coloring in the
first test tube. This represents a pure substance. In the next test tube, mix
one drop of food coloring and add drops of water. This solution now has a concentration
of one part food coloring in 10 parts solution. Take one drop from the second
test tube and put it in the third test tube and mix with nine drops of water.
This solution now has 1 part in 100 of food coloring. Keep repeating this process.
When you reach the tenth test tube you will have 1 part in a billion.
Final Discussion (3-5 minutes)
Ask students to note how the color changes across the ten test tubes. The color
should gradually decrease in intensity and become more and more transparent.
The more the solution looks like pure water, the less concentrated it is.
Since we aren't able to weigh out a single nanogram on a balance, scientists
prepare solutions similar to the one you just made to measure out nanogram amounts.
They take a measurable amount of a substance, put them into a solution, and
then dilute the solution until it reaches a concentration of one part per billion.
If they take one milliliter of the dilute solution and let the water evaporate,
they will be left with one nanogram of the substance
Required Background Information:
Students should be familiar with the idea of concentrations and be comfortable working with fractions.
Supplemental Materials:
- Student Worksheet (doc)
References:
- Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, UW-Madison - http://mrsec.wisc.edu/
- Nanobiotechnology Center, Cornell University - http://www.nbtc.cornell.edu/
- National Nanotechnology Initiative - http://www.nano.gov/centers.htm
- NanoScale 9100 - http://www.rjlg.com/NVR2.html
Authors:
IPSE Interns: Julia Bickler, Wendy deProphetis,
Manisha Ghorai, LJ Janowski, Ed Kabara, Nancy Karuri, Yvonne Kao, Laura Kopplin,
Melissa Kurth, Lauren Sammel, Erin Schmidt, Naveen Varma
IPSE Leadership Team: Wendy C. Crone, Amy Payne, Greta Zenner, and Tom Derenne
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The Nanotechnology Activity Guides are a product of the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center and the Internships in Public Science Education Project of the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Funding provided by the National Science Foundation.