balloon

"Exploring Size - Scented Balloons" lets visitors use their sense of smell to explore the world on the nanoscale. They learn that we can smell some things that are too small to see, and that a nanometer is a billionth of a meter.

“Nanotube Balloons” is a cart activity that introduces visitors to the structure and properties of carbon nanotubes. Visitors learn how the carbon atoms are arranged in a carbon nanotube, and that nanotubes are extremely strong and have interesting electrical properties. During the program, visitors help build a model of a carbon nanotube---out of balloons!

“Nanotube Balloons” is a large display made of balloons that can be used to draw visitors to a program on nanotechnology. Visitors observe how the carbon atoms are arranged in a carbon nanotube. The nanotube balloon model can be pre-constructed by museum staff, or visitors can help to build it. The balloon structure provides an intriguing hook for other programs, like “Forms of Carbon” or the “World of Carbon Nanotubes”.