Tiny Machines
Tiny Machines Part 1: Why Small is Big
Nerd Out
-
About
Building a better worldWe are increasing the number of engineering innovators and leaders who will make what’s next for the world even better.
-
Programs
Driving changeInspiring the next generation of engineers to build a more creative, innovative, sustainable world.
-
Locations
GE businesses around the world are inspiring young mindsFind city profiles, activities and how to join.
-
News
Latest news & updatesRead all news, updates, and happenings from the Next Engineers initiative.
Cities navigation
GE businesses around the world are inspiring young minds
Find city profiles, activities and how to join.
Inspiration navigation
Driving change
Inspiring the next generation of engineers to build a more creative, innovative, sustainable world.
News navigation
Latest news & updates
Read all news, updates, and happenings from the Next Engineers initiative.
Resources navigation
Explore all resources
Find the tools that you need to run a successful Next Engineers program, including communication collateral and templates, student and volunteer outreach materials, student activity guides, engineering challenges, and Monitoring & Evaluation resources.
Building a better world
We are increasing the number of engineering innovators and leaders who will make what’s next for the world even better.
Challenge Yourself
Find activity guides and resources to help you as students, parents, and teachers stay curious and build worlds that haven't even been thought of yet.
The Big World of the Small
Welcome to the very big world of the very small. You may have heard about nanotechnology but what exactly is it and why does it matter? Nanotechnology is manipulating molecules (and even individual atoms) to make things that use the unique properties of matter at very small scales.
But how small are we talking? Nanotechnology deals with things between 1 and 100 nanometers. A nanometer (nm) is one billionth of a meter. That means that the difference between a nanometer and a meter is the same as the difference between a marble and the Earth.
This image is credited to The National Center for Electron Microscopy, Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, US Department of Energy and is used under fair use.
know primary
Did you know?
For a visual sense of this scale, have a look at the interactive animation at Secret Worlds: The Universe Within. Here you can step through different levels of magnification from the Milky Way galaxy down to individual protons.
have a think primary
Have a think
Why it matters
It turns out that nanoparticles can exhibit different properties from things at the human scale. Some are stronger while others are more reactive. Some have different magnetic properties, while some are better conductors of electricity and heat. Still others can change color depending on how big they are. For example, a nano gold bar can appear red or purple (depending on its size) and has a lower melting point than an ordinary gold bar.
This ‘strangeness’ is partly because, at the nano scale, quantum effects tend to dominate. It is also because at this scale, surface area plays a much larger role. The ratio of surface area to volume is much greater.
know primary
What's Quantum Physics?
The ordinary rules of nature we are so familiar with don’t work at the nano level. Here, things follow quantum mechanics, a set of rules that describe how atoms and sub-atomic particles interact. If You Don't Understand Quantum Physics, Try This!
Take the following two blocks as an example.
The smaller block has a greater surface area to volume ratio. It has more surface area per unit volume. This can make nanomaterials behave in some unusual and unexpected ways.
Have a think
We know that the total surface area of a 1 cm3 block is 6 cm2. If we divided this 1 cm3 block into blocks each 1 mm3 in volume, what would the total surface area of all these blocks be in cm2?
HINT: If there are 10 mm in 1 cm how many 1 mm3 blocks would fit inside a 1 cm3 block?
important-tip primary
Learn more
To learn more about nanotechnology and why it is increasingly important, read the article called Ten things you should know about nanotechnology.
Natural nanotech
As clever as scientists and engineers are, nature is just as clever. Nature basically runs on nanotechnology! For example, geckos can climb walls so easily because of nano-hairs on their feet that get so close to the wall that the atoms in the hairs are attracted to the atoms in the wall making the gecko’s feet stick.
What would you do with this sticky feet superpower? What useful products can you imagine that would use similar nano-engineering?
Or how about the amazing colors of some butterfly and bird wings? These are not all normal pigments. Some of these colors are because of nanostructures. Depending on their size, they refract light differently and, therefore, look different colors. What amazing uses can you think of for materials made up of these kinds of nanostructures?
Learn more
If you want to find out more about natural nanotechnology, start by watching these great videos.
Natural Nanotech: How Geckos Climb Walls
Learn the secrets of how geckos can climb walls.
Natural Nanotech: Bright Colors from the Nanoscale
Many of the colors in butterfly wings are the result of nanostructures not pigments.
The Tiny Guide to Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is about more than computer chips and circiut boards. Watch this video to dive deeper into the tiniest of tiny technologies.
Big Things from a Tiny World
Watch this video to learn how some of the tiniest things might help address some of the biggest problems.
© 2026 FHI360
