How can you distinguished between atom and molecule just by seeing through microscope? Or is it just dust?

Question

Can they be differentiated?

Answer 1

Single atoms could not be until recently, but some really large molecules, like a molecule of DNA for instance, can be seen with an electron microscope which has been around for awhile.

I'm including a link to some images of Lithium atoms obtained by Lawerence Berkeley National Labs in 2003.

Answer 2

Typical department store visual microscopes have resolution approximately 1000 times too coarse to see atoms. Even the latest and best electron microscopes have resolution approximately equal to the size of an atom. Atomic force microscopes are a way of visualizing atoms and molecules. In any case, you really can't "see" either atoms or molecules. just dust....

Answer 3

You cannot see atoms or molecules at their basic levels through any form of light microscope. Electron microscopes, at the most, show hazes where you can "see" the areas that the bonds between atoms are, but this is excruciatingly rare and difficult to get any clear image.

Answer 4

Not with light microscopes. Some very long molecules are visible with electron microscopes. I believe that newly-developed equipment can show individual ions of salts.

Answer 5

i believe that neither atoms nor molecules are visible through a microscope. they are way, way too small.