Physics Commons^™

Nanoscale Thin Films, Rob Snyder

Nanotechnology Teacher Summer Institutes

An activity that makes a nanoscale film of oleic acid on water. The student will

• Learn about Ben Franklin’s observations of a thin film that had a nanoscale dimension.

• Create a very thin film with a very dilute solution of oleic acid.

• Use data you collect to determine if you made a thin film with a nanoscale dimension that formed on the surface of water.

• Learn about the molecular interactions that resulted in the formation of the thin film.

• Be introduced to the Big Ideas of Nanoscale Self-Assembly