What is nano?
A nanometer is one billionth of a meter. At this size, the size of atoms and molecules, materials take on new properties. Nanoscientists study and make very tiny, nanometer-sized things making possible new applications that could alter everyday items, from the clothes we wear to the cars we drive. Nanotechnology is already influencing medical treatments, energy efficiency, and more. Like any new technology, nanotechnology has risks and benefits.
Nano definitions
Nano is the scientific term meaning one-billionth (1/1,000,000,000). It comes from a Greek word meaning dwarf.
A nanometer is one one-billionth of a meter. One inch equals 25.4 million nanometers. A sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick. A human hair measures roughly 50,000 to 100,000 nanometers across. Your fingernails grow one nanometer every second.
(Other units can also be divided by one billion. A single blink of an eye is about one-billionth of a decade. An eyeblink is to a year what a nanometer is to a yardstick.)
Nanoscale refers to measurements of 1 – 100 nanometers. A virus is about 70 nm long. A cell membrane is about 9 nm thick. Ten hydrogen atoms are about 1 nm.
At the nanoscale, many common materials exhibit unusual properties, such as remarkably lower resistance to electricity, or faster chemical reactions.
Nanotechnology is the manipulation of material at the nanoscale to take advantage of these properties. This often means working with individual molecules.
Nanoscience, nanoengineering and other such terms refer to those activities applied to the nanoscale. "Nano," by itself, is often used as short-hand to refer to any or all of these activities.
More on “What is Nanotechnology”
Nano Links
There are many resources available on the Internet to learn about nanotechnology. Here are some of our favorites:
Videos
PBS DragonflyTV Nano Nanozone When Things get Small Nanotechnology: The Power of Small The Twinkie Guide to Nanotechnology NanoNerds
Audio and Podcasts
Earth & Sky Earth & Sky Clear Voices for Science nano episodes Sound Science Small Talk Podcasts
Online Games and Activities
Consumer Products and Society
Find Nano Nano and Me Center for Nanotechnology in Society
Recent Discoveries
Nanoscience Discoveries Science Buzz
Resources for K-12 Teachers
