Solids with one or more dimensions comparable to a few atomic spacings, when trapped in external potentials often show properties very different from those in the bulk. In this talk we consider classical properties of such systems viz. mechanical and thermodynamic behaviour. Using computer simulations and simple theoretical considerations, we show how nano- sized strips of a two- dimensional, crystalline solid phase of density $eta_s$ may be trapped within an external potential well of strength $mu$ and size $L_s$. As $mu$ or $L_s$ is varied, $eta_s$ exhibits steps corresponding to the addition (or substraction) of an entire atomic layer. We show that this leads to a sharp resonance in the absorption of sound (momentum impulses) by such an arrangement --- a fact which may have some practical applications.