Nanomaterials in Consumer Products Research Paper

Nanomaterials in Consumer Products - Research Paper Example Before delving deep into the topic, it is crucial that the reader understands a few concepts in relation to nanomaterials. Nanotechnology, to begin with, refers to the control of the structure and behavior of matter at the atomic or molecular level. This is done so as to create new functions of the materials, systems, or devices from a bottom-up approach. The use of nanotechnology uses the concepts such as those that dictate the different behavior of matter at different sizes. For example, gold is yellow in color, however, the color changes in relation to the sizes of the plates as that determine their ability to reflect light. In nanotechnology, very small materials are used, smaller than 100nm in size (Roduner 503). For the sake of the paper, and for an elaboration of how small a nanometer is, it should be known that the particle is equal to 10 hydrogen atoms. A grain of sand, on the other hand, equals to a million nanometers. Materials equal to these sizes are known as nanomateria ls and are now being used in physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, engineering, and material science. Carbon exists in every form imaginable. The basic composition of glucose, for instance, is made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The air that plants use so that they can produce glucose or starch, also, has to contain carbon in the form of carbon dioxide. To add to that, carbon forms a critical part of fossil fuels. In fact, the fuels are known as hydrocarbons because they contain carbon as a basic component.  Ã‚