ERIC Number: EJ1013024
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Mar
Pages: 3
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
Two Simple Classroom Demonstrations for Scanning Probe Microscopy Based on a Macroscopic Analogy
Hajkova, Zdenka; Fejfar, Antonin; Smejkal, Petr
Journal of Chemical Education, v90 n3 p361-363 Mar 2013
This article describes two simple classroom demonstrations that illustrate the principles of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) based on a macroscopic analogy. The analogy features the bumps in an egg carton to represent the atoms on a chemical surface and a probe that can be represented by a dwarf statue (illustrating an origin of the prefix "nano"), a plastic bottle, or a glass. The demonstrations allow students to visualize certain physical aspects of
SPM, such as probing "hilly" atoms on a surface using changes in distance between probe and atoms. Both demonstrations are appropriate to introduce SPM into high school or undergraduate science education. (Contains 3 figures.)
Descriptors: Science Instruction, Science Laboratories, Laboratory Equipment, Chemistry, Demonstrations (Educational), College Science, Undergraduate Study, High Schools, Secondary School Science, Molecular Structure
Division of Chemical Education, Inc and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: High Schools; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A