Nanoparticles

Question 1

What is a micrometer ?

Answer 1

1x 10-6 metre
Or
1/1000 of a millimetre
Ųm

Question 2

What is a nanometre ?

Answer 2

1/1000 of a micrometer
Or
1x10 -9 metre
nm

Question 3

What are course particles ?

Answer 3

PM10’s or dust

Question 4

What do course particles contain ?

Answer 4

Many thousands of atoms

Question 5

What is the name of fine particles ?

Answer 5

PM2.5

Question 6

What do fine particles contain?

Answer 6

Several thousand atoms

Question 7

What is the key fact with particles ?

Answer 7

As the particle size decreases by ten times
The surface area: volume ratio increases by ten times

Question 8

How do we work out surface area to volume ratio ?

Answer 8

Find surface area- area of one side times amount of sides
Find volume- lengthx height x width
Then divide the surface area by volume

Question 9

What type of surface area: volume ratio do nanoparticles have ?

Answer 9

A huge surface area: volume ratio

Meaning even a small amount of nanoparticles has a massive surface area

Therefore we need a much smaller quantity of nanoparticles compared to materials with normal particle sizes Eg catalyst ( this makes them extremely useful !!)

Question 10

What are some uses of nanoparticles ?

Answer 10

Medicines
Sun creams
Cosmetics
Electronics
Catalysts

Question 11

What are the risks of nanoparticles ?

Answer 11

Possible that nanoparticles can be absorbed into the body and enter our cells
No one knows the potential long term effects of this
So it’s important that nanoparticles are studied and used carefully