Seeing Atoms: A Breakthrough in Science

Visualizing Atoms for the First Time

Scientists have long believed that all matter is made of atoms, a concept that dates back over 2000 years. However, only in recent decades have advanced techniques like scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) allowed us to see individual atoms. For example, scientists have captured an image of silicon atoms just 78 picometers apart using this technology.

Exploring Atomic Theory

This blog series will take you through the key milestones in atomic science:

1. Early Chemical Discoveries – How scientists first theorized the existence of atoms.
2. Dalton's Atomic Theory – The foundation of modern atomic science.
3. The Nuclear Atom Model – How protons and neutrons form a nucleus, with electrons moving around it.
4. The Periodic Table – How elements are organized based on their properties.
5. Counting Atoms and Molecules – Introducing the mole and Avogadro constant, essential tools for measuring substances.

These concepts form the backbone of chemistry and will be essential for understanding future discussions in this series.

Silicon Atoms seen in STEM (scanning transmission electron microscope)