Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
An atom of hydrogen has a radius of about . How many hydrogen atoms, placed in a straight line touching each other, would make a line long? (.)
Dalton: matter is made of atoms, which are not created or destroyed in a reaction; atoms of one element are alike; they join in small whole-number ratios. An atom is about in radius, and .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The width of one atom. .
Step 2. The line in nanometres. .
Step 3. The number of atoms. .
Answer: about atoms, fifteen million, in just three millimetres.
Common mistake. Using the radius as the width gives twice too many atoms.
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