About this Study Set
This study set covers Nanotechnology through
20 practice questions.
A technical quiz focusing on the history, precise measurements, and foundational figures of nanotechnology. Every question includes the correct answer so you can learn as you go — pick any format above to get started.
Questions & Answers
Browse all 20 questions from the
Advanced Nanotechnology Milestones study set below.
Each question shows the correct answer — select a study format above to practice interactively.
1
In his 1959 lecture 'There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom', what specific theoretical limit did Richard Feynman suggest for the size of a motor?
-
A
1/64 of an inch
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B
1/100 of an inch
-
C
1/256 of an inch
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D
1/500 of an inch
2
The term 'nanotechnology' was first coined in 1974 by which researcher at the Tokyo University of Science?
-
A
Eric Drexler
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B
Norio Taniguchi
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C
Sumio Iijima
-
D
Richard Smalley
3
What is the exact atomic number of the element whose 1985 discovery, in the form of C60 buckminsterfullerene, launched the era of fullerene research?
4
The 1981 invention of the Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM), which allowed for the imaging of individual atoms, earned its inventors which fraction of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physics?
-
A
1/4
-
B
1/3
-
C
1/2
-
D
Full prize
5
In 1991, Sumio Iijima published his seminal paper in Nature describing the discovery of what structure?
-
A
Multi-walled carbon nanotubes
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B
Single-walled carbon nanotubes
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C
Quantum dots
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D
Graphene sheets
6
In 1959, Richard Feynman offered a prize of $1,000 for the first person to build an electric motor that fit into what volume?
-
A
1 cubic millimeter
-
B
1/64 cubic inch
-
C
1 cubic micrometer
-
D
1/1000 cubic centimeter
7
What is the diameter, in nanometers, of the DNA double helix that serves as a common reference for biological nanotechnology?
-
A
0.5 nm
-
B
1.0 nm
-
C
2.0 nm
-
D
5.0 nm
8
The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) was officially signed into law as a federal program by which U.S. President in 2003?
-
A
Bill Clinton
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B
George W. Bush
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C
Barack Obama
-
D
Ronald Reagan
9
What is the specific wavelength (in nanometers) typically used for the excitation of standard CdSe (Cadmium Selenide) quantum dots to achieve blue fluorescence?
-
A
300-400 nm
-
B
400-500 nm
-
C
500-600 nm
-
D
600-700 nm
10
In 1986, K. Eric Drexler published his book 'Engines of Creation', which popularized the concept of molecular nanotechnology. How many chapters does this book contain?
11
A 'nanometer' is defined as exactly what fraction of a meter?
-
A
10^-7
-
B
10^-8
-
C
10^-9
-
D
10^-10
12
In 1989, Don Eigler of IBM famously used an STM to spell out the 'IBM' logo using how many individual Xenon atoms?
13
What is the approximate tensile strength (in GPa) of a defect-free single-walled carbon nanotube?
-
A
10-20 GPa
-
B
50-100 GPa
-
C
150-200 GPa
-
D
500+ GPa
14
What is the specific surface-area-to-volume ratio of a sphere with a radius of 1 nm?
-
A
1 m^-1
-
B
2 m^-1
-
C
3 nm^-1
-
D
6 nm^-1
15
The 'Feynman Prize' for nanotechnology was established in what year?
-
A
1990
-
B
1993
-
C
1997
-
D
2000
16
What is the approximate bond length (in nanometers) of a carbon-carbon covalent bond in a graphene sheet?
-
A
0.142 nm
-
B
0.242 nm
-
C
0.342 nm
-
D
0.442 nm
17
In 2004, Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov isolated graphene using what mechanical method?
-
A
Chemical Vapor Deposition
-
B
Scotch tape exfoliation
-
C
Laser ablation
-
D
Molecular beam epitaxy
18
How many carbon atoms are contained in a standard C60 Buckminsterfullerene molecule?
19
What is the approximate limit of resolution (in nanometers) of a high-end commercial Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)?
-
A
0.05 nm
-
B
0.5 nm
-
C
5 nm
-
D
50 nm
20
The first 'nanocar' (a molecular machine) was synthesized by James Tour's group in what year?
-
A
2003
-
B
2005
-
C
2007
-
D
2009
