
26 Nanosensors: Physical, Chemical, and Biological
A CNT, also called a buckytube, is a large molecule of pure carbon that
is long and thin and shaped like a tube, hundreds to thousands of nano-
meters long. It is 10
2
times stronger than steel and but has one-sixth its
weight.
Example 1.1
Convert the average human height (5 ft 7 in.) into nanometers.
5 ft 7 in 5 12 7 in 67 in 67 2 54 cm 67 2 54 /1 m
6
. . . . ( . )
{(
= × + = = × = ×
=
00
77 2 54 /1 m 1 nm 1 7 1 nm
9 9
× × = ×. ) } .00 0 0
Example 1.2
How many hydrogen atoms can be lined up end-to-end to make 1 nm length?
Since diameter of a hydrogen atom is 0.1 nm, 1/0.1 or 10 such atoms
will be necessary ...