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Related Concept Videos

Electronic Structure of Atoms02:28

Electronic Structure of Atoms


An atom comprises protons and neutrons, which are contained inside the dense, central core called the nucleus, with electrons present around the nucleus. Taking into account the wave–particle duality of electrons and the uncertainty in position around the nucleus, quantum mechanics provides a more accurate model for the atomic structure. It describes atomic orbitals as the regions around the nucleus where electrons of discrete energy exist, characterized by four quantum numbers:  n, l, ml, and...
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Atomic Structure

Overview
Atomic Structure01:17

Atomic Structure

The Greek philosopher Democritus proposed that everything on Earth is made up of tiny particles called atomos, Greek for "indivisible," from which the modern term "atom" is derived. In the 19th century, John Dalton proposed the atomic theory that is still largely correct today. He put forth five postulates to explain how atoms made up the world around us. (1) All matter is composed of infinitely small particles or atoms. (2) All atoms of a given element are identical to one another and (3) are...
Atomic Force Microscopy01:08

Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a type of scanning probe microscopy that can analyze topographic details of various specimens like ceramics, glass, polymers, and biological samples. AFM offers over 1000 times more resolution than the optical imaging system. Images generated from AFM are three-dimensional surface profiles, offering an advantage over the flat, two-dimensional images from other imaging techniques.
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The Quantum-Mechanical Model of an Atom02:45

The Quantum-Mechanical Model of an Atom

Shortly after de Broglie published his ideas that the electron in a hydrogen atom could be better thought of as being a circular standing wave instead of a particle moving in quantized circular orbits, Erwin Schrödinger extended de Broglie’s work by deriving what is now known as the Schrödinger equation. When Schrödinger applied his equation to hydrogen-like atoms, he was able to reproduce Bohr’s expression for the energy and, thus, the Rydberg formula governing hydrogen spectra. Schrödinger...
Electron Behavior01:09

Electron Behavior

Electrons are negatively charged subatomic particles attracted to and orbit around the positively-charged nucleus of an atom. They reside in spaces associated with energy levels called shells and are further organized into subshells and orbitals within each shell.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

Single-Molecule Imaging of Nuclear Transport
12:13

Single-Molecule Imaging of Nuclear Transport

Published on: June 9, 2010

Seeing single atoms.

Michael S Isaacson1

  • 1University of California at Santa Cruz, Jack Baskin School of Engineering, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA. msi@soe.ucsc.edu

Ultramicroscopy
|August 9, 2012
PubMed
Summary

The development of new technologies enabled the first electron microscopic observations of individual atoms. This paper details the historical instrumental designs and technological advancements from Albert Crewe's laboratory.

Area of Science:

  • * Materials Science and Engineering
  • * Physics
  • * Chemistry

Background:

  • * Scientific breakthroughs often arise from the convergence of enabling technologies and conceptual advancements.
  • * The early 1970s witnessed significant progress in electron microscopy, paving the way for atomic-level imaging.

Observation:

  • * The first direct electron microscopic observations of individual atoms were achieved at the University of Chicago.
  • * These observations were made possible by specific technological innovations developed within Albert Crewe's laboratory.

Findings:

  • * This paper details the specific technologies developed for atomic resolution microscopy.
  • * Historical instrumental designs and the underlying scientific rationale are presented.
  • * The evolution of these technologies over a decade is discussed.

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All-electronic Nanosecond-resolved Scanning Tunneling Microscopy: Facilitating the Investigation of Single Dopant Charge Dynamics
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All-electronic Nanosecond-resolved Scanning Tunneling Microscopy: Facilitating the Investigation of Single Dopant Charge Dynamics

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Last Updated: May 19, 2026

Single-Molecule Imaging of Nuclear Transport
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Published on: June 9, 2010

Compact Quantum Dots for Single-molecule Imaging
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All-electronic Nanosecond-resolved Scanning Tunneling Microscopy: Facilitating the Investigation of Single Dopant Charge Dynamics
11:33

All-electronic Nanosecond-resolved Scanning Tunneling Microscopy: Facilitating the Investigation of Single Dopant Charge Dynamics

Published on: January 19, 2018

Implications:

  • * Understanding the historical development of atomic imaging technologies provides insights into scientific progress.
  • * The described innovations laid the groundwork for modern high-resolution microscopy.
  • * This work highlights the critical role of technological development in enabling fundamental scientific discoveries.