Atoms are extremely small measuring about 1 x 10-10 meters in diameter. Because of their small size, it's impossible to view them using a light microscope. While it may not be possible to view an atom using a light microscope, a number of techniques have been developed to observe and study the structure of atoms.
Is there a microscope that can see atoms?
The very powerful microscopes are called atomic force microscopes, because they can see things by the forces between atoms. So with an atomic force microscope you can see things as small as a strand of DNA or even individual atoms.
How much is a microscope that can see atoms?
The newest was unveiled last month: a £3.7 million ($5.5 million) Nion Hermes Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope that EPSRC says is one of only three in the world. It can image objects a million times smaller than a human hair.
