Nanoparticles are 1 nm to 100 nm in size. They have very large surface area to volume ratios. The properties of nanoparticulate substances are different from those of the same substance in bulk.
Nanoparticles are structures, 1 to 100 nanometres (nm) in size, that usually contain only a few hundred atomThe smallest part of an element that can exist.. This means that nanoparticles are larger than atoms and simple moleculeA collection of two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds..
The size of nanoparticles can be compared easily using the nanometre scale. For example:
an 8 nm nanoparticle is larger than a 4 nm nanoparticle
an 8 nm nanoparticle is larger than a single atom with a diameter of 1 nm
Standard form
The size of nanoparticles and other atoms and molecules can be compared using standard form.
The sizes get smaller going down this table:
Unit
Decimal
Standard form
1 cm
0.01 m
1 × 10-2 m
1 mm
0.001 m
1 × 10-3 m
1 μm
0.000,001 m
1 × 10-6 m
1 nm
0.000,000,001 m
1 × 10-9 m
Unit
1 cm
Decimal
0.01 m
Standard form
1 × 10-2 m
Unit
1 mm
Decimal
0.001 m
Standard form
1 × 10-3 m
Unit
1 μm
Decimal
0.000,001 m
Standard form
1 × 10-6 m
Unit
1 nm
Decimal
0.000,000,001 m
Standard form
1 × 10-9 m
Question
List these numbers in order of size, starting with the smallest.
A
B
C
D
5 × 10-9
5 × 10-8
5 × 10-10
7 × 10-9
A
5 × 10-9
B
5 × 10-8
C
5 × 10-10
D
7 × 10-9
5 × 10-10
5 × 10-9
7 × 10-9
5 × 10-8
Question
If one carbon atom has a diameter of about 1 nm, estimate the length of a nanoparticle that is 10 carbon atoms long. Give your answer in nm and in standard form.