Seeing The Nanoscale: Using Interactives To Teach Probe Microscopy

Probe microscopes are key tools for surface characterization and nanoscale science. This category of instrumentation has enabled researchers both to investigate properties and to manipulate materials at the nanoscale. When introduced to nanoscale science and engineering, students frequently ask “How do we know it is there if we can’t see it with our eyes?” To address this query, students of all ages can be introduced to the basic concepts of probe microscopy and given the opportunity to explore probe techniques. We have developed interactive exhibits and classroom activities that allow middleand high-school students to detect and map topography, stiffness, and magnetic field. These products will be presented along with assessment data collected with the Rennie and McClafferty protocol for formative evaluation of interactive exhibits.