a blog by the NSF Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
For our Halloween blog post back in 2017, I used chemistry to figure out how many moles of gas are in a Gastly, a gaseous ghost/poison-type Pokémon. (Because Pokémon are fantastical creatures, it’s no surprise than many are either inspired by chemistry or can be understood through the lens of chemistry.) Today, as the world’s foremost writer on …
Continue reading "Pokémon Carbon Chemistry: Carbink and Diancie"
Is it a solid? Is it a liquid? It behaves in a way that reminds us a little of both. But what is it? Slime! (Figure 1) Making slime is a majorly successful activity used to illustrate a number of scientific concepts. While this activity is usually reserved for classrooms, or live demonstrations intended for …
Continue reading "Breaking News: Slime Time Chemistry Slip-Up!"
A few days from now is Valentine’s Day, a day to take time to appreciate what matters the most in life… chocolate! I’m sure you’ve seen the tiny, cheesy, heart-shaped boxes of off-brand chocolates in grocery and convenience stores around this time of year. Maybe you’ve even been gifted this inexpensive treat before. How do …
Continue reading "What Does Nanotechnology Have to Do with Chocolate?"
Two years ago, I wrote a blog post called Two Ways to Make Nanoparticles, describing the difference between top-down and bottom-up methods for making nanoparticles. In the post I commented, "we can estimate, knowing how gold atoms pack into crystals, that there are about 2000 gold atoms in one 4 nm diameter gold nanoparticle." Recently, a Sustainable Nano reader wrote in to ask about …
Continue reading "How can you calculate how many atoms are in a nanoparticle?"
In the CSN, we like to study and understand small things. Everyone knows the adage “no two snowflakes are alike,” but what actually goes into creating this variety of shapes at a molecular level? It seems fitting, as we’re experiencing the end of snowy weather here in the Midwestern U.S., to dig into the science …
Continue reading "The Science of Snow"
Everything is made of atoms. Usually these atoms are strongly connected to one another, in an amazing variety of configurations. But atoms are so tiny, how can we possibly understand the structure of matter at the atomic level? You probably have seen pictures of molecules or materials, zoomed in to the atomic level, which show …
Continue reading "The Atomic Difference Between Diamonds and Graphite"
Take a look at your wrist. Have you ever wonder what makes your watch tick with such precision? What if I told you the same technology that causes your watch to work is also key to one of the most sensitive balances on the planet? Sounds crazy right?! Well, I promise it’s not crazy! The …
Continue reading "One of the Most Sensitive Balances on the Planet – Quartz Crystal Microbalance"
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