• Question: How many atoms does it take for something to become visible to the naked eye?

    Asked by shrek to Ed, Hugh on 19 Mar 2015.
    • Photo: Ed Rial

      Ed Rial answered on 19 Mar 2015:

      Hi Shrek

      The answer to this question, as with many others is ‘it depends’. Some atoms are bigger than others!

      The human eye can see roughly 50 microns (0.05mm). Atoms can generally get no closer than 0.0000001mm.

      Divide 0.05 by 0.0000001 and you get 500000 atoms. But that would still only be one atom thick, you wouldn’t see it. So let’s make it a square gives 250 billion atoms.

      Ed 🙂

    • Photo: Hugh Harvey

      Hugh Harvey answered on 19 Mar 2015:

      Like Ed says – billions!!!

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