Atoms are certainly not big. They are so small that until recently they couldn’t even be seen with the world’s most powerful microscope.
An atom is so small that it is almost impossible to understand how small a single atom is. It is easier to think about how long a line of 1 million atoms might be. Take a page of a book and hold it between your thumb and forefinger so that you get an idea of how thick the paper is.
One million atoms lined up in a row would roughly equal the thickness of the page you are holding. Even the finest of optical microscopes cannot see an atom.
Only electron microscopes, which “see” with electricity and make a picture like the one you have on your TV set, are powerful enough to magnify an atom so it can be seen.
Related Posts
-
Who First Proposed the Theory of the Atom and What Does the Word Atom Mean In Greek?
The Greek philosopher, Democritus was called "the Laughing Philosopher" because he said the purpose of life was "to be cheerful." Around 470 B.C., he proposed a theory that made others laugh at him.…
-
How Did Ernest Rutherford Pioneer the Planetary Model of the Atom After Conducting His Gold Foil Experiment?
In 1908, Ernest Rutherford conducted his greatest experiment. First, he directed alpha particles at several different materials and found that they passed through easily. Rutherford beat a piece of gold leaf into a…
-
What Was Albert Einstein’s Involvement In the Making of the Atom Bomb During World War Two?
As soon as scientists heard the equation E = mc2 in 1905, they knew it was only a matter of time before a weapon of tremendous power would be devised. In 1939, Albert…
-
Who Discovered Neutrons At the Nucleus of the Atom and How Did Neutrons Get Its Name?
In 1932, the English physicist Sir James Chadwick discovered that the nucleus of the atom consisted of another particle besides protons. He called the particles neutrons because they had a neutral charge, unlike…
-
Who Discovered Nuclear Fusion and How does fusing two atomic nuclei into one atom release energy?
Fusion energy is the power of the sun. It is a virtually unlimited power source that can be created from hydrogen and lithium, common elements in the earth's crust. Fusion is clean, environmentally…
-
How did atomic physicists split the atom and When?
In the early days of atomic physics, the overriding concern was the search for knowledge, pure and simple, unencumbered by the controversial moral and political ramifications that since 1945 have surrounded the atomic…
