Order and Disorder in the World of Large Molecules

Abstract

First of all, what do we mean by a large molecule? The largest molecules known today are of the order of 0.1 mm, a colossal size on the atomic scale. For comparison, we may recall that the sizes of atoms and interatomic distances are close to one angstrom, i.e., 10⁻⁷ mm. If we further consider that the transverse dimensions of the molecules referred to above are only about three or four angstroms, we can see clearly just how improbably long they are. They might be compared to rail tracks 10 cm wide and 10 km long.