NANOSCALE OBJECTS - A strand of hair is about 80,000 to 100,000 nanometers wide. You probably know that a nanometer is 1/1,000,000,000 of a meter or 10-9 meters, but do you have a feel for just how small a nanometer is? Here are some examples of nanoscale objects, plus the length of common objects expressed in nanometers. Your fingernails grow at the rate of about 1 nanometer per second. A single water molecule is about 1.5 nanometers. A strand of human DNA is 2.5 nanometers in diameter. A single hemoglobin molecule is 5 nanometers across. A single bacterium is about 1,000 nanometers long. A strand of hair is about 80,000 to 100,000 nanometers wide. A sheet of paper is 100,000 nanometers thick. An ant is 5 million nanometers long. The human hand is 100 million nanometers long. A 7-foot-tall basketball player is 2 billion nanometers tall. Your fingernails grow at the rate of about 1 nanometer per second. A single water molecule is about 1.5 nanometers. A strand of human DNA is 2.5 nanometers in diameter. A single hemoglobin molecule is 5 nanometers across. A single bacterium is about 1,000 nanometers long. A strand of hair is about 80,000 to 100,000 nanometers wide. A sheet of paper is 100,000 nanometers thick. An ant is 5 million nanometers long. The human hand is 100 million nanometers long. A 7-foot-tall basketball player is 2 billion nanometers tall.

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Nanoscale Objects

Examples of Nanoscale Objects

By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

A strand of hair is about 80,000 to 100,000 nanometers wide.

You probably know that a nanometer is 1/1,000,000,000 of a meter or 10^-9 meters, but do you have a feel for just how small a nanometer is?

Here are some examples of nanoscale objects, plus the length of common objects expressed in nanometers.

The Amazing Smallness of Our World

·      Your fingernails grow at the rate of about 1 nanometer per second.

·      A single water molecule is about 1.5 nanometers.

·      A strand of human DNA is 2.5 nanometers in diameter.

·      A single hemoglobin molecule is 5 nanometers across.

·      A single bacterium is about 1,000 nanometers long.

·      A strand of hair is about 80,000 to 100,000 nanometers wide.

·      A sheet of paper is 100,000 nanometers thick.

·       An ant is 5 million nanometers long.

·       The human hand is 100 million nanometers long.

·      A 7-foot-tall basketball player is 2 billion nanometers tall.

Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

Chemistry Expert

Education

Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville

B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College

Introduction

Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville - Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Science educator with experience teaching chemistry, biology, astronomy, and physics at the high school, college, and graduate levels.

ThoughtCo and About Education chemistry expert since 2001.

Widely-published graphic artist, responsible for printable periodic tables and other illustrations used in science.

Experience

Anne Helmenstine, Ph.D. has covered chemistry for ThoughtCo and About Education since 2001, and other sciences since 2013. She taught chemistry, biology, astronomy, and physics at the high school, college, and graduate levels. She has worked as a research scientist and also abstracting and indexing diverse scientific literature for the Department of Energy.

In addition to her work as a science writer, Dr. Helmenstine currently serves as a scientific consultant, specializing in problems requiring an interdisciplinary approach. Previously, she worked as a research scientist and college professor. 

Education

Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a B.A. in physics and mathematics with a minor in chemistry from Hastings College. In her doctoral work, Dr. Helmenstine developed ultra-sensitive chemical detection and medical diagnostic tests.

ThoughtCo and Dotdash

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https://www.thoughtco.com/examples-of-nanoscale-608575