• Cutting it Down to Nano.
• How Small are Nanotubes?.
• NanoSolutions.
• NanoSugar.
• NanoWeights.
• Nanotechnology Mitten Challenge.

• Ferrofluid: NanoMedicine.
• Giant Magnetoresistance.
• Liquid Crystal Sensors.
• Nanoarchitecture: Forms of Carbon.
• "Smart" Papers.
• Nano-Tex: Testing New Nano Fabrics.

• NanoCommunity.
• Rocks and Nanobots.
• Technology and Public Policy: Nanoville.

• Amorphous Metal.
• Ferrofluid.
• LEDs.
• Memory Metal.

• General Information.
• Advanced Materials.
• Applications of Nanotechnology.
• Nanotech in Industry.
• Nanotechnology Articles.
• Nanotechnology Journals.
• Seeing Atoms.
• University Nanotech Programs.

Applications Activity: Giant Magnetoresistance

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Audience: Middle school class
Time Needed: 45 minutes

Objectives:

• Be introduced to nanotechnology and GMR, a phenomenon based on nanotechnology
• Review basic concepts of electricity and magnetism
• Participate in an interactive, hands-on activity that relates current computer technology to their lives.

Activity Materials:

• Slides or overhead transparencies (pdf)
• Hard drives
• Screwdrivers (Philips and Torx)
• Poster paper
• Tape Markers
• Simple circuit demo (metal scraps, pieces of other materials, batteries, battery snaps, wire, LEDs)
• Magnetism demo (cow magnets, metal scraps, pieces of other materials)
• Coil LED demo (cow magnets, tube (rolled-up transparency) with copper coil attached to LED)
• Worksheets

Activity Description:

Students dissect a hard drive to explore the fundamental principles of electricity, magnetism, and a nanotechnology-based phenomenon called giant magnetoresistance (GMR). GMR is exhibited by materials that have alternating layers of magnetic and non-magnetic materials, each a few atoms thick. The resistance of these materials changes dramatically when a magnetic field is introduced. GMR materials can be found in the read heads of computer hard drives. Students participate in a treasure hunt to find different components of the hard drive in order to win a prize. Students explore magnetism and electricity through hands-on demonstrations and must answer questions about these topics in order to receive visual clues to aid in their hard drive treasure hunt.

Supplemental Materials:

• Slides: Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR) and the Modern Hard Drive (pdf)
• Movie: Giant Magnetoresistance
• Background Information: Giant Magnetoresistance

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