Nanotechnology, the field of building ultrasmall structures one atom at a time, has progressed in recent years. One potential application of nanotechnology is the construction of artificial cells. The simplest cells would probably mimic red blood cells, the body’s oxygen transporters. Nanocontainers, perhaps constructed of carbon, could be pumped full of oxygen and injected into a person’s bloodstream. If the person neededadditional oxygen—due to a heart attack perhaps, or for the purpose of space travel—these containers could slowly release oxygen into the blood, allowing tissues that would otherwise die to remain alive. Suppose that the nanocontainers were cubic and had an edge length of 25 nm.a. What is the volume of one nanocontainer? (Ignore the thickness of the nanocontainer’s wall.)b. Suppose that each nanocontainer could contain pure oxygen pressurized to a density of 85 g/L. How many grams of oxygen could each nanocontainer contain?c. Air typically contains about 0.28 g of oxygen per liter. An average human inhales about 0.50 L of air per breath and takes about 20 breaths per minute. How many grams of oxygen does a human inhale per hour? (Assume two significant figures.)d. What is the minimum number of nanocontainers that a person would need in his or her bloodstream to provide 1 hour’s worth of oxygen?e. What is the minimum volume occupied by the number of nanocontainers calculated in part d? Is such a volume feasible, given that total blood volume in an adult is about 5 L?
States of Matter
The substance that constitutes everything in the universe is known as matter. Matter comprises atoms which in turn are composed of electrons, protons, and neutrons. Different atoms combine together to give rise to molecules that act as a foundation for all kinds of substances. There are five states of matter based on their energies of attraction, namely solid, liquid, gases, plasma, and BEC (Bose-Einstein condensates).
Chemical Reactions and Equations
When a chemical species is transformed into another chemical species it is said to have undergone a chemical reaction. It consists of breaking existing bonds and forming new bonds by changing the position of electrons. These reactions are best explained using a chemical equation.
Nanotechnology, the field of building ultrasmall structures one atom at a time, has progressed in recent years. One potential application of nanotechnology is the construction of artificial cells. The simplest cells would probably mimic red blood cells, the body’s oxygen transporters. Nanocontainers, perhaps constructed of carbon, could be pumped full of oxygen and injected into a person’s bloodstream. If the person needed
additional oxygen—due to a heart attack perhaps, or for the purpose of space travel—these containers could slowly release oxygen into the blood, allowing tissues that would otherwise die to remain alive. Suppose that the nanocontainers were cubic and had an edge length of 25 nm.
a. What is the volume of one nanocontainer? (Ignore the thickness of the nanocontainer’s wall.)
b. Suppose that each nanocontainer could contain pure oxygen pressurized to a density of 85 g/L. How many grams of oxygen could each nanocontainer contain?
c. Air typically contains about 0.28 g of oxygen per liter. An average human inhales about 0.50 L of air per breath and takes about 20 breaths per minute. How many grams of oxygen does a human inhale per hour? (Assume two significant figures.)
d. What is the minimum number of nanocontainers that a person would need in his or her bloodstream to provide 1 hour’s worth of oxygen?
e. What is the minimum volume occupied by the number of nanocontainers calculated in part d? Is such a volume feasible, given that total blood volume in an adult is about 5 L?
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