- #1
blackmatters
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Im reading a wonderful book called Springer Handbook of Nano-technology and I am on the chapter dealing with how the AFM (atomic force microscope) works. Upon the section describing how it works with frictional forces I ran into a bit of a complex.
If we're imaging the topography of some atomic structure, that would be (essentially) the interaction of electrons of the sample's surface, and the AFM's probe-tip surface. Now, considering that friction is the force against movement in a given direction (caused by irregularities in shape we can or cannot see), that too, is caused by the sum of all the electron's interactions (is that a wrong assumption?). So by using an AFM in contact mode, allowing the tip/sample to connect, are we not just measuring the frictional force and processing that as an image?
After typing this out, I think my perspective of frictional force may be off... I hope I hit some type of question though...
If we're imaging the topography of some atomic structure, that would be (essentially) the interaction of electrons of the sample's surface, and the AFM's probe-tip surface. Now, considering that friction is the force against movement in a given direction (caused by irregularities in shape we can or cannot see), that too, is caused by the sum of all the electron's interactions (is that a wrong assumption?). So by using an AFM in contact mode, allowing the tip/sample to connect, are we not just measuring the frictional force and processing that as an image?
After typing this out, I think my perspective of frictional force may be off... I hope I hit some type of question though...