Final answer:
Nanotechnology focuses on a smaller scale (nanometer range) compared to microtechnology (micrometer scale). It works with structures at the atomic and molecular level, which are invisible to conventional microscopes and require specialized tools to be seen, like electron microscopes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Nanotechnology is significantly smaller in scale compared to microtechnology. It operates on the nanometer scale, which ranges from 1 to 100 nanometers (1 nm is 1×10-9 meters), therefore, compared to microtechnology, nanotechnology focuses on a scale that is B) Smaller.
Essentially, microtechnology deals with objects that are typically on the micrometer scale (1 um or 1×10-6 meters), such as microbes and human cells, which are visible with microscopes. In contrast, nanotechnology focuses on structures at the atomic and molecular level, often requiring the use of an electron microscope to view these minuscule components. Applications of nanotechnology are vast and varied, promising advancements in numerous fields including materials science, electronics, and medicine.
As a reference, consider the comparisons in size: water molecules are smaller than 1 nm, glucose molecules are larger than 1 nm but smaller than 1000 nm, and amino acids are larger than 1 nm but smaller than 10 nm.