Nanotechnology: A Gentle Introduction to the Next Big Idea

Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Ideas

Until the 20th Century, the physics of materials was dominated by Isaac Newton's ideas and formulas, which, with contributions over the next two centuries from many other notable scientists, formed the basis of classical mechanics. These laws describe fairly accurately all motion that you can see at a macroscale such as the movement of cars, the effect of gravity, and the trajectory of a punted football. But when physicists study very small structures at the nanoscale and below, some of the rules described in classical physics for materials fail to work as expected. Atoms don't turn out to behave exactly like tiny solar systems, and electrons show properties of both waves and particles. Because of these discoveries ...