can you take a picture of an atom?

Question

can you take an actual picture, not just a computer drawing. Like a teloscopic picture of of an actual atom?

Answer 1

You can't take an optical photograph, since the atom is considerably smaller than the shortest wavelength of visible light. But if you consider an image made using gamma radiation, then perhaps you could take a picture if you found a suitable emulsion and a way to focus.

Answer 2

Picture Of An Atom

Answer 3

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2112537-smallest-sliver-of-time-yet-measured-sees-electrons-fleeing-atom/

"Smallest sliver of time yet measured sees electrons fleeing atom"

I wanted to comment on this article but there is no comments section, so I found this question and am commenting here. It pertains to your question because it has a photo. But.. is it a photo or CG? After reading more of the article it seems like an electron was "measured" instead of "photographed" (via smaller wavelength radiation or what have you).

So I figure it's CG. I thought about all the depictions of electrons, even in chemistry class back in high school.. we see rings around atoms and electron orbits.

It flies in the face of Quantum Mechanics, how electrons are popping in and out of places, zipping around at chaotic velocities, and essentially being predictably unpredictable (probability wave) in terms of where they are and which way they're traveling.

I wonder why our depictions show calm, steady, circular orbits. No wonder why we have such a hard time imagining Quantum Mechanics, the depictions are misleading.

An electron isn't just in "one" place, it's "smeared out" and the depictions ought to reflect that. I suppose circular orbits help with electron levels, but it would be helpful to have reminders of how to imagine electrons moving around atoms really looks like. Chaotic. Smeared out.

Or maybe that's too scary?

Answer 4

Hi. Yes, there are new microscopes that use atomic force measurement to provide data for a computer to produce a picture. Normal light is very much too coarse to use and even electon microscopes are not fine enough. http://www.almaden.ibm.com/vis/stm/

Answer 5

no, you cannot.

the pictures we see are of a scanning microscope (i believe it is called): it has a needle on the end of it, and moves it extremely slow over the top of an object. the bumps in the objects surface are then recorded on the computer, and the tiniest bumps found are atoms, since atoms are not flat.

packets of light are *bigger* than atoms. since they are bigger, they *cannot* bounce off of atoms for any type of microscope to see. the only way we can 'see' atomsis by 'feeling' them with special microscopes.

Answer 6

At this very moment, I believe no one can "take actual picture" (taking photo shot ) of an atom complete with it's electron.
there is no such camera that can have the shutter speed faster than electron.
Please check http://education.jlab.org/qa/history_03.html and http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/phy99/phy99372.htm .
Imagine taking a moto race picture. You must have a high speed camera and good lens and also technique to capture a racing motor cycle to be able to get a clear image (not blurred). If the motor speed is 200km/hr that is equal 55,5 m/sec and your camera shutter speed is 1/60 you will get a picture of a motor stretch of about 1 m (55.5m/60).

Answer 7

yes you need certain materials to that because we learn that in science class last year.

Answer 8

the strongest miroscope in the world got pretty close, but it was hard to see because of the electrons spinning around it.

Answer 9

Sure, but I certainly would ask it first!