NANO SCALE
SCIENCE/MATH
for the Middle School
Presenters:
Bob Neudel, Science Teacher, neudelb@albanyacademies.org
Bridgett Frary, Math Teacher, fraryb@albanyacademies.org
The Albany Academies
135 Academy Road
Albany, NY 12208
Download Power Point at:
www.neudelscience.net and click “nano unit” or
http://www.neudelscience.net/ipower/NANO_UNIT.html
How many years has Nano Technology
been used?
How many years has Nano Technology
been used? 2000 years!
We now know that a cup
made by the Romans 1700
years ago used
nanotechnology!
Slide from Copyright April
2009 The Pennsylvania
State University
We now know that the
beautiful stained-glass
windows made 1600 years
ago by the ancient Irish also
used nanotechnology.
(We just found out because
we just learned how to see
the nano-particles they
used).
Agenda
Intro 10 min-- Short video
Sample Labs/activities 20 min
Bringing it together 20 min
Activities
Resources
Questions: What ever time is left
Play some more if time permits....
Short Video-- what is a nanometer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
4_AFzKlAXsg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJdLJWcKNVw&feature=r
elated
MATH ACTIVITIES
What is a Billion?
Building an understanding
and a mental visualization of
one billion.
How many golf balls would it take to
fill this room?
Materials: golf balls, a
meter sticks, calculators
Procedure: Find the
diameter of a golf ball in
cm. Find the dimensions of
the room in meters.
Convert the dimensions of
the room from meters to
golf balls. Find the Volume
of the room in golf balls.
Challenge: How could you
determine the size of a
container that would hold
one billion golf balls?
What size would the
container be?
How tall would a stack of a billion
sheets of card stock be?
Materials: 25 sheets of
card stock, metric ruler
Procedure: Students
measure the stack of 25
sheets then calculate the
height of 100 sheets, then 1
billion sheets of card stock.
Challenge: One story
building is approximately 3m
high. How many stories
would a billion sheets of
card stock be?
How long would it take to count from
one to one billion?
Materials: stopwatch
Procedure: One student
counts from one to 10 while
being timed. Based on that
time the student will
calculate the number of
seconds to count to 100, to
1,000, and to one billion.
Then they will calculate how
many years it will take to
count to one billion.
Nano Shapes: Tiny Geometry
Materials: Buckeyball
template printed on
cardstock. Scissors, tape
Procedure: Students will cut
out the template, then fold
each dark line. Connect the
matching letters and tape
where they meet.
Finished Product:
A BUCKEYBALL!!
Math Hanouts in Resource
Materials.. End of Power Point
SCIENCE ACTIVITIES
Properties
Purpose: to build skills of
describing characteristics
for future activities.
Directions: Introduce term
'Properties'. Ask students
what they think the word
means.
Hand out a variety of
objects (rubber ball,
marble, wheel, for example)
Ask class to list properties
they all share.
Then ask them to list
properties that are unique
to each.
Compare answers
You can extend this activity
with other objects.
Electrical Friction on a Nano Scale
Purpose: See how electricity
can be produced thru
Friction.
Materials: Cow (or cylinder
shape) magnet, 1 copper and
1 pc piping same height and
inside dimensions.
Procedure: Have students
hold hand under plastic tube
and run magnet
through (Vertical). Write
observations. Repeat with
copper tube.
Questions: Why did the
magnet 'slow down' and
make noise in the copper
tube?
Explanations for Electrical Friction
Have you ever looked inside an electric
motor… two main parts are coiled wire
and magnets. Hook that electric motor to a
voltmeter or bulb and turn motor: Presto…
you have a Generator.
Electricity
is produced when a magnet runs
around copper wire or copper wire wraps around a
magnet. When you run the magnet down the
copper tube you are moving electrons on the nano
scale – while not producing usable electricity– you
are producing electricity or electrical friction that
slows the magnet down.
Another
explanation: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/When_a_
magnet_is_dropped_inside_a_copper_tube_its_ex
it_is_delayed_by_a_few_minutes_why
Nano Scale Cotton vs cotton
Explanation:
The nano sized cotton is
shaped something like velcro--- the ends
of the cotton are so small that water will
cling to the top of the fibers (lesson on
Materials: 100% cotton cloth and pair of water!) and roll off.
'nano-tex' pants (can be purchased at
Target).
This material top coating is nano sized
cotton fibers that water will cling to
and roll off.
Procedure: Have students pour 10 cc's
of water on cotton material. Do the
same with nano tex. take notes. For
visual effect... wear a pair of pants and
pour 10 cc' of water on pants!
Purpose: to see how small
size can change properties
of cotton.
Nano Scale Ferrous Fluid
Purpose: Observe how iron
filings in nano scale have
different properties.
Materials: Magnet, Iron
filings, Commercial
ferrofluid.
Procedure*: Have class
make predictions, next test
a magnet with iron filings.
Next make predictions
on what nano sized filings
might do. Test with magnet
next to tubes with nano
fluid.
*Goggles, please!
Explanation: "Ferrodluid, first
developed by NASA in the 1960's
consists of nano sized magnetic
particles suspended in a liquid. Notice
different 3 dimensional images."
(Explanation from Flinn Scientific)
Nano Ferrous Fluid Students Discover:
Sand vs Nano Size Coating
Purpose: Students make predictions
and observe properties of sand and
nano size particles of sand.
2. Pour sand and Magic Sand
into water.
Procedure: Pass out fine
sand particles and ask
students to make
predictions. Do the same
for the nano-coated sample.
1. Next pour water over
sand and then sample.
Explanation and Where to
purchase: http://www.steve
spanglerscience.com/produc
t/1331
Follow up reading:
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/219
27 and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_effect
UV Light Detector beads
Purpose: Observe how
technology can test for UV
light on the nano sclae (100-200 nm).
Procedure: This makes a great lesson to
discuss properties of light and UV light
as well as test sun tan lotions and/or UV
coated glasses. Hand students a small
zip lock bag. Ask them to make
predictions of what would happen if the
beads are held in front of UV light. On a
sunny day for our side and test of check
what indoor lights put out.
Expanded lesson: Have
research and give reports
on UV light or the dangerds
of UV light . Then have
them design an experiment
to test for UV light.
Explanation and
Purchase: http://www.steve
spanglerscience.com/conten
t/experiment/00000118
UV Beads Cont.
• Have students design
experiment snf test UV
protection for:
• 1. Suntan lotions (brands
or pf 15:30:50
• 2. Hand creams
• 3. Glasses… Are your
glasses protecting you…
or cheap sunglasses vs
expensive ones.
• #’s 1—3 Best done
outdoors in sunlight.
4. Will the beads change
color on a cloudy day
Graphite... Testing properties of
adding layers.
This can be done at same time of the Buckyball Math Lab…examining carbon
properties.
Materials: Number 2 pencil, voltmeter
(Comparing how bright a light bulb glows
is an alternative to a voltmeter).
Purpose: Students will observe how
adding layers to small particles can
increase conduction.
Procedure: Test paper for conduction
with a voltmeter. Have students design
an experiment that would test how
adding graphite may increase
voltage. Example: Draw one line on
paper. Draw over the line. How does
adding to this effect the conduction of
electricity.
I found 1 single line, writing
over line ten times, 30
times, 50 times gave
measurable readings with a
number 2 pencil.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell
Purpose: Produce hydrogen gas (with a
solar panel) to collect hydrogen gas for
Hydrogen Powered Car.
Materials: Hydrogen Model Car (can be
purchased at variety of science
suppliers.).
Notes: Limitless activities--this is a unit
in itself.
Procedure ideas: Have students
research properties of hydrogen and
oxygen, H2 powered cars, solar energy.
Collect Hydrogen in test tube and test
with a match. Do same with oxygen.
(Operational definition of H2 and O2.
Collect H2 gas and run
Hydrogen powered car.
Student research how Fuel
Cell converts Hydrogen to
electricity.
Nano Science Visit and Career
Opportunities!
1. Arrange visit to SUNY
Albany School of Nano
Science.
e-mail: Steven Stewart at
sstewart@uamail.albany.edu
for information.
Questions for this
workshop: Science :Bob
Neudel or Math Bridgett
Frary
For Career oportunities for
students to research:
http://www.nnin.org/nnin_ca
reers.html
Materials
Ferrofluid: Flinn
Science: http://www.flinnsci
.com/store/scripts/prodVie
w.asp?idproduct=22304 or
http://www.carolina.com/pro
duct/physical+science/physics
/magnetism/ferrofluid+displa
y+cell.do
You Tube Help
What is a nanometer and
Excellent introduction:
http://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=sITy14zCvI8
What is nanotechnology...
good for middle school
students: http://www.youtu
be.com/watch?v=4_AFzKlA
Xsg
Buckeyball
Annimation: http://www.you
tube.com/watch?v=Iw6ihY8
BqCY
Buckeyball: annimation
and http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=HR3lwWhFUD4
Chem Matters-medicine: http://www.youtu
be.com/watch?v=xbcn7FR3p
dg
Thanks to:
It would be nice to say that all these thoughts and
labs are ours but they are not!
Albany College of Nano Science especially: Diana Dumesnil
Bob Gear, Stephen Stewart.
Pennsylvania School of Nano Science
www.nano4me.org
Nanoscale Science: Activities for Grades 6-12By: M. Gail Jones, Michael R.
Falvo, Amy R. Taylor, and Bethany P. BroadwellNSTA Press Book: Link to
book: http://www.nsta.org/store/search.aspx?action=quicksearch&text=
nano%20science. Math Resources from this book pages 13, 14, 15 and
30 for classroom use only.
You Tube
Cotton
Fiber: http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=eAkfMODXdgw
Iron
1 http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=BDqsdpAF89Q
Iron
2 http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=4NRt5aIuCPM
Resources
www.nano4me.org you will
be asked to register but all
teaching materials are free.
Buckyballs
explanation: http://scifun.c
hem.wisc.edu/chemweek/bu
ckball/buckball.html and
http://www.azonano.com/ar
ticle.aspx?ArticleID=1781
What is Nano Science
explanation:
http://www.nanoscience.com
/education/overview.html