Topic outline

  • TechNyou Nanotechnology webinar 16 May 2013

    8.00 pm Eastern states
    7.30 pm SA/NT
    6.00 pm WA
    10.00 am UTC

    Presenter - Francesca Calati, Latrobe University and Joe Shapter, Flinders University.

    This hour long seminar will open with a presentation introducing nanotechnology and its possibilities by Dr Joe Shapter, followed by Q&A and then discussion with Francesca Calati on the nanotechnology activities for the classroom below. Please review the videos and accompanying materials for each experiment and have questions ready for Francesca to address. 

  • 1: Synthesis of gold nano particles

    This practical experiment can be used as part of a broad introduction to nanotechnology. In it, the bulk properties (classical effects) of materials are compared with the properties at the (quantum effects). This comparison highlights the way in which materials acquire new, improved and/or different properties at the nanoscale and how these new properties are leading to the creation of new products and applications. This experiment allows students to observe the changes in gold (through the colour change) as the material is reduced to the nanoscale.  

    Update 9 December 2016: As the CSIRO TechNYou website no longer exists, the teachers and students guide for this experiment is now available from the ASTA Science ASSIST website.

  • 2: Synthesis of ferro fluid

    In this experiment, students make “ferrofluid”, a colloidal suspension of magnetic nanoparticles. Ferrofluids respond to an external magnetic field, enabling the solution's location to be controlled through the application of a magnetic field. This again highlights to students a change in material properties at the nanoscale.

    Update 9 December 2016: As the CSIRO TechNYou website no longer exists, the teachers and students guide for this experiment are no longer available.

  • 3: Smart memory alloys

    Shape memory alloys (SMA) are a class of materials referred to as smart materials as they possess the ability to radically change crystal structure or phase at a distinct temperature and also display ‘shape memory’. This module focuses on the SMA Nitinol. Using Nitinol, students will explore how these materials work and also learn about and investigate the many applications of SMA. The module begins by posing a number of ‘what if’ questions to get students thinking about what type of material Shape memory alloys are and how they work. Students are then introduced to Nitinol and explore how shape memory alloys work by conducting an experiment investigating the shape memory properties of Nitinol.

    Update 9 December 2016: As the CSIRO TechNYou website no longer exists, the teachers and students guide for this experiment are no longer available.

  • 4: Measurement of the diameter of a human hair using diffraction patterns

    In this experiment students learn how light and diffraction patterns can also be used to measure small things, by using diffraction to measure the diameter of a human hair. This experiment is part of a broader module which helps students comprehend the size of things at the nanoscale. 

    Update 9 December 2016: As the CSIRO TechNYou website no longer exists, the teachers and students guide for this experiment are no longer available.