How does something become tangible? How many atoms are needed to be

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of tangibility and the number of atoms required for an object to be perceived as tangible, including considerations of visibility and physical interaction.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions how something becomes tangible and how many atoms are necessary for visibility and physical interaction.
  • Another participant references Avogadro's number, suggesting it as a comparative measure for the number of molecules in a substance, specifically mentioning 18 grams of water.
  • One participant asserts that just one atom can suffice for tangibility, providing an example of an atomic typewriter.
  • Another participant notes that a human hair is approximately half a million carbon atoms wide, implying a scale for understanding tangibility.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion contains multiple competing views regarding the number of atoms necessary for tangibility, with no consensus reached among participants.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not fully defined what is meant by "tangible," and the discussion includes varying assumptions about visibility and physical interaction with objects.

harp AP 2010
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How does something become tangible? How many atoms are needed to be able to see/hold something?
 
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For comparison you can use Avogadro's number (approx 6*1023). For example this is number of molecules in 18 grams of water.
 


A hair is roughly half a million carbon atoms wide.
 

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