Nano-Quiz (20 questions to test your nano-IQ) Question 1: The prefix "nano" comes from a ... French word meaning billion Greek word meaning dwarf Spanish word meaning particle Latin word meaning invisible Question 2: Who first used the term nanotechnology and when? Richard Feynman, 1959 Norio Taniguchi, 1974 Eric Drexler, 1986 Sumio Iijima, 1991 Question 3: What is a buckyball? A carbon molecule (C60) Nickname for Mercedes-Benz's futuristic concept car (C111) Plastic explosives nanoparticle (C4) Concrete nanoparticle with a compressive strength of 20 nanonewtons (C20) Question 4: Which of these historical works of art contain nanotechnology? Lycurgus cup Medieval stained glass windows in churches Damascus steel swords All of the above Question 5: What is depicted in this famous image? Artist's nanoscale illustration of the Circus Maximus in Rome Scanning Tunneling Microscope image of electrons surrounded by iron atoms Simulation of underwater volcanoes near the Hawaiian Islands Nanoscale version of a bear trap to capture nanoparticles Question 6: Richard Feynman is often credited with predicting the potential of nanotechnology. What was the title of his famous speech given on December 29, 1959? There is a tiny room at the bottom Things get nanoscopic at the bottom Bottom? What bottom? There is plenty of room at the bottom Question 7: How many oxygen atoms lined up in a row would fit in a one nanometer space? None; an oxygen atom is bigger than 1 nm One Seven Seventy Question 8: Which one of these statements is NOT true? Gold at the nanoscale is red Copper at the nanoscale is transparent Silicon at the nanoscale is an insulator Aluminum at the nanoscale is highly combustible Question 9: Which of these consumer products is already being made using nanotechnology methods? Fishing lure Golf ball Sunscreen lotion All of the above Question 10: If you were to shrink yourself down until you were only a nanometer tall, how thick would a sheet of paper appear to you? 170 meters 1.7 kilometers (a bit more than a mile) 17 kilometers 170 kilometers Question 11: What is graphene? A new material made from carbon nanotubes A one-atom thick sheet of carbon Thin film made from fullerenes A software tool to measure and graphically represent nanoparticles Question 12: Which of these well-known phrases from Star Trek depends on the (fictional) use of nanotechnology? Beam me up, Scotty! Tea. Earl Grey. Hot. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile. All of the above Question 13: What is grey goo? A hypothetical substance composed of out-of-control self-replicating nanobots that consumes all living matter on Earth The feeder material used to grow grey nanoparticles in the laboratory Toxic byproduct resulting from the synthesis of carbon nanotubes Waste product from the production of nanoglue made from the membranes on the feet of the Madagascan Grey Gecko Question 14: Which one of these condiments is unique due to the nanoscale interactions between its ingredients? Ketchup Mustard Mayonnaise All of the above Question 15: Nanorobots (nanobots)... Do not exist yet Exist in experimental form in laboratories Are already used in nanomedicine to remove plaque from the walls of arteries Will be used by NASA in the next unmanned mission to Mars Question 16: What has been the cumulative budget for the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative since its inception in 2001? $187 million $1.9 billion $14 billion $29 billion Question 17: Plasmonics is... A field of nanophotonics that holds the promise of molecular-size optical device technology The science of fluorescent nanoparticles used in modern fireworks A hypothetical science used in science fiction weaponry (plasma cannons) The technology used to design and build the laser-guided photonic gyroscopes used in aviation. Question 18: Optical tweezers... Are used to remove facial hair with miniaturized laser beams Use light to manipulate particles as small as a single atom Are a nanotechnology-based tool for stamp collectors Don't exist Question 19: A silver coin with a diameter of 4 cm (such as the U.S. silver dollar) contains 26.96 grams of coin silver and has a surface area of about 27.7 square cm. If the same 26.96 grams of coin silver were divided into particles 1 nanometer in diameter, what would their combined surface area be? 11.4 square meters 140 square meters 1,400 square meters 11,400 square meters Question 20: And what exactly is a quantum dot? A semiconductor nanostructure that confines the motion of conduction band electrons, valence band holes, or excitons in all three spatial directions. The sharpest possible tip of an Atomic Force Microscope A fictional term used in science fiction for the endpoints of wormholes Unexplained spots that appear in electron microscopy images of nanostructures smaller than 1 nanometer Why not read our extensive tutorials on nanotechnology and on graphene (which includes a fantastic infographic)? We spent a lot of time compiling all the relevant information for you.