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/sci/ - Science & Math

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File: 5 KB, 200x200, atom animation.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5812238 No.5812238 [Reply] [Original]

Explain to me these magnified atoms and molecules clips I see in the news recently.

As far as I know, we can't even magnify enough to see an individual cell, let alone an atom.

So how does it work? And is what I'm seeing how an atom would really look to the naked eye?

>> No.5812252
File: 102 KB, 600x600, 1367736290591.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5812252

>>5812238
>we can't even magnify enough to see an individual cell

wat

>> No.5812260

>>5812238

>As far as I know, we can't even magnify enough to see an individual cell

that's a pretty good testament to how little you know. you can see cells with ordinary microscopes found in any school.

the wavelength of visible light is too large to allow for anything much smaller, so electron microscopes are used instead for smaller things. a beam of electrons is used, which has a wavelength much smaller than that of light, allowing for higher resolution.

whether it is electron microscopes or something else used for images at the atomic scale I don't know.

all your questions could probably be answered by 15 minutes in wikipedia.

>is what I'm seeing how an atom would really look to the naked eye?

like I said, the wavelength of light is too large to see anything as small as that, so individual atoms could not be said to look like anything to your naked eye. but the images do give an idea of the actual shape of the thing.

>> No.5812261
File: 2.13 MB, 400x300, 1361488791892.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5812261

You almost rusteled my jimmies there, great work

>> No.5812274

I saw an individual cell today in lecture. You are fucking stupid op.

>> No.5812427

electronic microscope:

you approach a very thin needle to the surface you want to study, and the needle moves across that surface.
Due to tunnel effect, some electrons go from the surface to the needle, creating a small current.

When the needle comes across a bump, the needle gets closer to the surface, so the number of electrons travalling via tunnel effect get bigger and bigger.
Using a basic retroaction, you can then readapt the level of the needle, so that it stays at the same distance of the surface as it was before.
By recording that movement, you know the form of the bump.
Likewise, when there is a small hole, the flow of electrons diminishes, so the retroaction makes the needle go down this time.

So the needle actually follows the form of the surface.

You can easily reconstruct the picture by using levels of gray as function of the z coordinate.

>> No.5812433

>>5812427
You're thinking of atomic force microscopes, not electron microscopes. Big difference.

>> No.5812450

>>5812427
>>5812433
No it's a tunneling electron microscope. Not an electron microscope.

>> No.5812453

>>5812450
my bad.
Still, this is how OP's pic was made

>> No.5812456

>>5812450
It's called a scanning tunneling microscope, the term 'electron microscope' is misleading.

Either way, atomic force microscopy is derived from tunneling microscopy and is methodologically very similar. Electron microscopy is not.

>> No.5812465

Bullshit, God is bigger than all of that!