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    Chemistry GCSE

    Surface area to volume ratio

    What Surface area to volume ratio means in Chemistry GCSE, as defined for AQA.

    Definitions of Surface area to volume ratio

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    Reference: AQA

    Nanoparticles have a very large one of these because a high proportion of their atoms lie at the surface.
    AQA · Sizes of particles and their properties (study guide)
    For a cube of side length a, surface area is 6a² and volume is a³, so the ratio is 6a² ÷ a³ = 6 ÷ a.
    AQA · Sizes of particles and their properties (study guide)

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