# Problem: Nanotechnology, the field of trying to build ultrasmall structures one atom at a time, has progressed in recent years. One potential application of nanotechnology is the construction of artificial cells. The simplest cells would probably mimic red blood cells, the bodys oxygen transporters. For example, nanocontainers, perhaps constructed of carbon, could be pumped full of oxygen and injected into a persons bloodstream. If the person needed additional oxygen-due to a heart attack perhaps, or for the purpose of space travel-these containers could slowly release oxygen into the blood, allowing tissues that would otherwise die to remain alive. Suppose that the nanocontainers were cubic and had an edge length of 24 nanometers.Suppose that each nanocontainer could contain pure oxygen pressurized to a density of 86 g/L . How many grams of oxygen could be contained by each nanocontainer?

###### FREE Expert Solution

We’re asked to determine how many grams of oxygen could be contained by each nanocontainer given that the density of Oxygen in each nanocontainer is 86 g/L and the edge length of each nanocontainer.

Recall that the volume of a cube is given by the equation:

$\overline{){\mathbf{Volume}}{\mathbf{=}}{{\mathbf{a}}}^{{\mathbf{3}}}}$

a = edge length

We can determine the mass of oxygen in each nanocontainer using its density.  Recall that density is:

$\overline{){\mathbf{density}}{\mathbf{=}}\frac{\mathbf{mass}}{\mathbf{volume}}}$

We're given:

density of O2 = 86 g/L

a = 24 nm (convert to m: 1 nm = 10-9 m)

###### Problem Details

Nanotechnology, the field of trying to build ultrasmall structures one atom at a time, has progressed in recent years. One potential application of nanotechnology is the construction of artificial cells. The simplest cells would probably mimic red blood cells, the bodys oxygen transporters. For example, nanocontainers, perhaps constructed of carbon, could be pumped full of oxygen and injected into a persons bloodstream. If the person needed additional oxygen-due to a heart attack perhaps, or for the purpose of space travel-these containers could slowly release oxygen into the blood, allowing tissues that would otherwise die to remain alive. Suppose that the nanocontainers were cubic and had an edge length of 24 nanometers.

Suppose that each nanocontainer could contain pure oxygen pressurized to a density of 86 g/L . How many grams of oxygen could be contained by each nanocontainer?