Blue Morpho Butterfly

Photo by Peter Ganaj

The way things behave at the nanoscale is very different from how they work in the macroscale. Such as:

                  • Light interacts with matter differently, for instance colors can be based on light waves rather than dyes or pigments. Learn more here: https://phys.org/news/2019-12-nanoscale.html
                  • Matter is so small that gravity becomes insignificant and intermolecular forces dominate.
                  • Surface effects become important due to large surface area relative to environment.
                  • Motion becomes complicated.
                  • Quantum effects dominate.

 

Learn about these unexpected properties of matter at the nanoscale.

We learned about the blue morpho butterfly in previous videos and how it is actually brown but appears blue. It turns out nature has a hard time making blue naturally. 

Is it blue or is it nanotechnology? None of the images below have a speck of blue pigment. All are brown but appear blue due to structural color. This means that the nanostructures are just the right size for visible blue light to refract and appear blue.

Illustration of nanomaterials

Photo of a poison arrow frog

Photo of a blue tarantula

 

This video, Why is Blue so Rare in Nature, goes more in depth.

 

The table below shows some nanoscale properties. Learn more about these properties and concepts in the videos in the Learn More column. We have included a few activites for anyone who would like to try some experiements.

Properties at the Nanoscale
Property
Nano Concept
 Learn More
Activities

Light/Matter Interactions

Illustration of light spectrum

Structural Color

 

Illustration of a blue butterfly

Light/Matter Interactions

 

Illustration of light spectrum

Gold and silver nanoparticles reflect a variety of colors and have a multitude of uses

Illustration of gold and silver nanoparticles in tube

Electrostatic Force Dominance

 

Illustration of lightning

Super-hydrophobicity is about harnessing electrostatic forces on surfaces to control wetting

Illustration of a water droplet in super-hydrophobicity

Electrostatic Force Dominance

Illustration of lightning

Colloidal particals are on the nano scale, too small for gravity to overcome

Illustration of collodial particles

 

Electrostaic Force Dominance

Illustration of lightning

Geckos harness electrostatic forces with nanoscale structures to defy gravity

Illustration of geckos

Surface Area to Volume Ratio

Illustration of a cube

Cell size and surface area to volume-the size of life

 

Illustration of a cell

Light/Matter Interactions

Illustration of light spectrum

Quantum Dots



Quantum Dots

Quantum Effects

Illustration of quantum effects

Quantum tunneling and STM

Illustration of quantum tunneling

Quantum Effects

Illustration of quantum effects

Quantum Mechanics

Illustration of quantum mechanics

 

Quantum Effects

Illustration of quantum effects

Quantum Computing

Illustration of Quantum computing

*Table adapted from Introduction to Nanotechnology Educators Workshop from Penn State University.

 

Nanogirl, My Quest to Become a Superhero: Michelle Dickinson at TEDxAuckland 

 

For Salish Kootenai College Upward Bound Campers

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