- #1
Embison
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What object would represent the size of a grain of salt at this scale?
Would it be bigger than Earth?
Would it be bigger than Earth?
In summary, at a scale where a grain of salt is represented by 100μm, the smallest atom, helium, would be approximately 3 million times smaller and a large atom like caesium would be approximately 0.5 million times smaller. Comparing this to a grain of salt, a helium atom would be about 100m wide and a caesium atom would be about 16m wide. The transistor mentioned in the source is made of phosphorous atoms, which are about 180pm in size. In comparison, a grain of salt would be about 55.555555m wide at this scale.
- #2
Mark44
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Is this a homework problem?Embison said:
What are your thoughts on your problem?
- #3
Ryan_m_b
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The smallest atom is helium at ~30pm, a very large atom like caesium is ~225pm. Salt obviously varies in size but let's say it's particularly fine at 100μm then a helium atom is ~3 millionth of the size and a caesium atom is ~0.5 millionth of the size. So if a helium atom was as large as a grain of salt a grain of salt would be ~100m wide and for a caesium atom it would be ~16m wide.
I'm pretty sure my math is correct there
I'm pretty sure my math is correct there
- #4
Embison
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No. I'm reading this...
http://nextbigfuture.com/2012/02/single-atom-transistor-is-perfect.html?m=1
and I'm curious about how small that really is.
http://nextbigfuture.com/2012/02/single-atom-transistor-is-perfect.html?m=1
and I'm curious about how small that really is.
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- #5
meldraft
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If I remember correctly, an atom is roughly in the 10^-11 - 10^-10 scale, and an average grain of salt could have a diameter of, let's say, 10^-3 m (assuming it's a sphere).
This leaves you with a diameter ratio of about 50 million.
This leaves you with a diameter ratio of about 50 million.
- #6
Embison
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So what object would represent the size of the grain of salt?
- #7
Ryan_m_b
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See my post #3 above.Embison said:
- #8
Embison
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I did but you didnt mention any objects.
- #9
Ryan_m_b
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16 metres long is roughly five cars. 100 metres long is roughly the width of the international space station. That's obviously just length so use your imagination to make it 3d.Embison said:
- #10
Mark44
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A hydrogen would be a bit smaller, being a single proton.Ryan_m_b said:
- #11
Embison
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Thanks Ryan. I wasnt sure if you meant miles or meters.
Is it possible to estimate which atomic scale that transistor was manufactured at from the link I posted? And what size would a grain of salt represent from my original question compared to the size of that transistor?
Thank you for any help!
Is it possible to estimate which atomic scale that transistor was manufactured at from the link I posted? And what size would a grain of salt represent from my original question compared to the size of that transistor?
Thank you for any help!
- #12
fedaykin
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Mark44, you may wish to double check that. It's been a while since my chem prof explained this to me, but I believe the additional proton in helium makes it smaller, especially since both electrons are in the same shell.
http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Inorgan...odic_Trends#Periodic_Trends_for_Atomic_Radius
http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Inorgan...odic_Trends#Periodic_Trends_for_Atomic_Radius
- #13
Ryan_m_b
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Well the atom they mention is phosphorous which is roughly 180pm in size (note that atom "size" can vary based on how they bond IIRC).Embison said:
Taking a grain of salt to be 100μm in size: 100000000pm/180pm = 555555.55
100μm*555555.55 = 55555555μm = 55555.555mm = 55.555555m
So a grain of salt would be ~half the size of a 100m sprint track.
FAQ: If an Atom was the size of a grain of salt
1. What would be the size of an atom if it was the size of a grain of salt?
If an atom was the size of a grain of salt, it would be extremely small. In fact, it would be about 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair.
2. How many atoms would fit inside a grain of salt if they were the same size?
It's difficult to say exactly how many atoms would fit inside a grain of salt if they were the same size, as it would depend on the type of atom and the size of the salt grain. However, it's estimated that there are about 1.2 x 10^18 atoms in a single grain of salt.
3. Would an atom the size of a grain of salt still have the same properties?
Yes, an atom the size of a grain of salt would still have the same properties as a regular-sized atom. Size does not affect an atom's properties, as they are determined by the number and arrangement of subatomic particles within the atom.
4. How does the size of an atom compare to the size of a grain of salt?
The size of an atom is incredibly small, measuring at about 0.1-0.5 nanometers in diameter. A grain of salt, on the other hand, can range from 1-5 millimeters in diameter. This means that an atom is about 10,000-50,000 times smaller than a grain of salt.
5. What is the purpose of comparing an atom to the size of a grain of salt?
Comparing an atom to the size of a grain of salt helps to visualize just how small atoms really are. It can also help people understand the vast amount of atoms that make up everything in our world, as a single grain of salt contains trillions of atoms.