What is Atomic force microscope (AFM)?

An atomic force microscope is like a super-sensitive touchy-feely toy that can feel things so tiny, you can’t even see them with your eyes.

Imagine you're playing with your favorite blanket, it's soft and smooth. Now imagine trying to feel the difference between one thread in the blanket and another, but instead of being able to see them, you have to feel them with just your finger. That’s kind of what an atomic force microscope does, but even tinier!

The atomic force microscope uses a tiny hook, like the tip of a hairpin, that can touch and move along the surface of something super small, like a grain of sand or even a single atom. As it moves, it feels how bumpy or smooth the surface is, and this information helps scientists draw pictures of things they can't see.

Scientists use the atomic force microscope to look at very tiny things, so tiny that you need special tools to see them! It's like having a magnifying glass that can zoom in all the way to the world of atoms.