| A | B |
|---|
| Alloy | A metal made by combining two or more metallic elements, especially to give greater strength or resistance to corrosion. |
| Angstrom | A unit of length equal to one ten-thousandth 10-10 of a meter. |
| Atom | The smallest unit of a chemical element, made up of a nucleus surrounded by electrons. |
| Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) | A device for mapping surface atomic structure by measuring the force acting on the tip of a sharply pointed wire or other object that is moved over the surface. |
| Billionth | A very small number, 10-9. |
| Buckyball | Molecule composed of 60 carbon atoms arranged in a sphere. |
| Clean Room | A room for the manufacture or assembly of objects that is maintained at a high level of cleanliness by special means. |
| Hexagon | A plane figure with six straight sides and angles. |
| Hydrophilic | Having a tendency to mix with, dissolve in, or be wetted by water. |
| Hydrophobic | Tending to repel or fail to mix with water. |
| Magnification | Make appear larger than it is, especially with a lens or microscope. |
| Metrology | The science of measurement. |
| Micrometer | An instrument attached to a telescope or microscope for measuring small distances or angles. |
| Microscope | An optical instrument for magnifying very small objects. |
| Molecule | A group of atoms chemically bonded together, representing the smallest fundamental unit of a compound that can take part in a chemical reaction. |
| Nano | Extremely small; originally from Greek word nanos which means dwarf. |
| Nanometer | A unit of length equal to one billionth of a meter or 10-9. |
| Nanotechnology | Techniques that produce or measure features less than 100 nanometers in size. |
| Nanotube | A microscopic tube whose diameter is measured in nanometers. |
| NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) | Established in 1958 as the government agency responsible for the United States of America’s space program and long-term general aerospace research. |
| Patent | A government license giving an individual or body the sole right to make, use, or sell an invention for a set period. |
| Pentagon | A polygon of five angles and five sides. |
| Scanning Probe Microscope | Microscope with a very sharp tip that is scanned over a surface to measure some property. |
| Surfactant | Surface active substance. |
