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Nanometers
Teacher Notes
Concepts: (1) Scientists make measurements to describe their observations and to
improve communications with others. The metric system is used by scientists to
make measurements. [3.1.3.4.1, 4.2.1.1.1] (2) A meter is divided into smaller parts
(centimeters and even nanometers). [6.1.3.4.2] (3) There are one billion
(1,000,000,000) nanometers in a meter. [6.1.3.4.2] (4) This is an introduction to
qualitative observations (words like adjectives and adverbs) and quantitative
observations (numbers, equations and graphs). Observations that are specific
are the most useful to scientists. (5) Scientists organize data in data tables.
Questions to get students thinking before the activity or to use after:
•How would you describe yourself to someone?
•How could you improve your description?
•If you collected hand measurements from all of your classmates, what
would be the best way to display the data? [2.1.1.2.1]
•What is a nanometer? Can you see a nanometer on a ruler?
•Knowing there are 1 billion nanometers in a meter, how could you convert a
measurement to nm?
Materials per group:
Make a copy of the reference sheet for each group.
Procedure: No special methods are needed. Students begin by giving a word
description of their hand. The word (qualitative) description will be similar to
many other descriptions. Not everyone in the class will have the same hand
length. Sometimes numbers (quantitative observations or measurements) make
for better descriptions than words. This activity can be extended by making a
bar graph to describe the hand lengths (in centimeters) of all the students.
Other objects in the classroom can also be measured. Nanometers are
incredibly small. Our eyes can not see things that measure in nanometers. That
requires special tools called atomic force microscopes.
Observations/Results: Student descriptions will very as will their hand measurements.
Check for logical measurements and correct ruler use (whatever you have
taught is great). Make sure the measurements in the data table are in
nanometers. Chances are good that not everyone will have hands of the exact
same length!
Summing Up:
1.Is it better to describe something with words OR with numbers? Why?
Numbers. Numbers are more specific. (Unique is a good word to use in class
discussion.) Just like our hand measurements showed.
2.Nanometers are really small. There are one billion nanometers in a meter. In
expanded form one billion is 1,000,000,000. Write 2 billion in expanded form.
2,000,000,000
3.Red blood cells carry oxygen. A red blood cell can measure six thousand five
hundred nanometers across. Write that in expanded form.
6,500
4.A virus, like the one that causes the common cold, measures about 72
nanometers across. Write that in word form.
seventy two
5.How long, in nanometers, do you think your teacher’s hand will measure?
Check it out.
Answers will vary.
Nanometers
Materials: reference sheet
Procedure:
1. Look at your hand. Describe your hand to
your partner.
Using only your description, could your partner tell
your hand apart from the hands of your
classmates?
2. Scientists use measurements to improve their
observations. Use the sheet What is the length of
your hand? to measure your hand.
How long is your hand in centimeters?
How long is your hand in nanometers?
3. Put the length of your hand in the data table.
Name
length of hand (nanometers)
4. Get measurements from four other classmates and
add them to the data table.
5. Do all of the people listed in the data table have
hands of the exact same length?
Summing Up:
1. Is it better to describe something with words OR
with numbers? Why?
2. Nanometers are really small. There are one billion
nanometers in a meter. In expanded form one
billion is 1,000,000,000. Write 2 billion in expanded
form.
3. Red blood cells carry oxygen. A red blood
cell can measure six thousand five hundred
nanometers across. Write that in expanded
form.
4. A virus, like the one that causes the common cold,
measures about 72 nanometers across.
Write that in word form.
colouringbook.org
5. How long, in nanometers, do you think your
teacher’s hand will measure? Check it out.
What is the length of your hand?
Place the heal of your hand on the zero mark near the bottom of this page. What is
the length of your hand in nanometers?
200 million nanometers
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0 million nanometers