Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Gold can be beaten into a very thin leaf. A craftsman beats of gold, of density , into a square leaf of area . How thick is the leaf, in nanometres?
A conversion factor is a fraction equal to one, such as . Choose it so that the unwanted unit cancels. For squared or cubed units, square or cube the factor.
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. Volume. .
Step 2. Area. .
Step 3. Thickness. . Since , this is about .
Answer: about , a few hundred atoms thick.
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