An Introduction to Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Chapter 2: Some Science to Get You Started The Necessary Toolkit

2.1. Quantum Physics

2.1.1. From the traditional world to the quantum world

The nanoworld is part of our world, but in order to understand this, concepts other than the normal ones, such as force, speed, weight, etc., must be taken into consideration.

The nanoworld is subject to the laws of quantum physics, yet evolution has conditioned us to adapt to this ever changing world. This observation has led us to further investigate theories based on the laws of physics that deal with macroscopic phenomena.

Therefore, the law linking the pressure of a gas P , its volume V and its temperature T , following the equation P V/T = a constant, is one of astounding simplicity. It describes how engines work. Each liter of gas, at atmospheric pressure, contains approximately 10,000 billion billion atoms, and because of this immense size we are unable to predict the individual movement of the atoms. This movement can only be observed in exceptional vacuum conditions and in exceptionally low temperatures, but the laws of physics that are applied will no longer be the same.

Let us take Ohm s Law, V = R I, which in the field of electricity deals with the relationship between the potential difference from one terminal point on a conductor to the other V , its resistance R and the flow of electric current I . The simplicity and elegance of this equation come from the statistical translation of the number of different behaviors that electrons have; electrons being the fundamental particles...

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