Classroom Questions

Questions for ‘Behold the world’s thinnest pasta’ 

Pasta nanofibers look like a mesh of thin gray fibers.

These nanofibers (seen under a scanning electron microscope) can be called pasta because they are made from dried flour. That makes them the thinnest noodles ever.

Beatrice Britton, Adam Clancy

By Science News Explores

To accompany ‘Behold the world’s thinnest pasta’

SCIENCE

Before Reading:

  1. Consider different ways that you might create spaghetti noodles from dough. Based on your current knowledge, describe a technique that you think would allow you to make thin “angel hair” spaghetti. 
  2. A spinning wheel is a tool that enables someone to create yarn or thread. Watch this short video. Then, briefly explain how a spinning wheel is used to create yarn. Feel free to sketch a picture to support your explanation.  

During Reading:

  1. Describe this new pasta’s width by comparing it to something familiar.
  2. In your own words, describe the role of acid in the new pasta “dough” recipe. What food preparation step does the acid replace?
  3. Based on your answer to Question 2, how might the acid contribute to the pasta’s extreme thinness?
  4. Explain the process of electrospinning and what role it plays in creating the super-fine noodles described in this story.
  5. Identify one ingredient in the original “dough” not present in the final noodle product. What happened to this ingredient?
  6. Describe one non-food-based application for the technology described in this story. Explain the value of these super-thin fibers to this particular application.

After Reading:

  1. A polymer is a molecule made from many repeating units linked together like a chain. Review this story and identify two molecules mentioned that would be classified as polymers. Why do you think polymer-type molecules are so useful for crafting thread and yarn?
  2. Based on what you learned about traditional spinning wheels and the description of electrospinning in this story, come up with one similarity and one difference between them.
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