What Does an Atom Look Like?

You’ve probably seen atoms like this emoji ⚛ everywhere from science textbooks to the logo for The Big Bang Theory. But what does an atom really look like? The truth is much stranger.

Host, Producer: Greg Kestin
Research and Writing: Samia Bouzid, Greg Kestin
Editorial Input from: Julia Cort, Ari Daniel
Science Consultant: Or Hen
Filming, Editing, and Animation: Greg Kestin
Media: Shutterstock
Special thanks: Entire NOVA team
From the producers of PBS NOVA © WGBH Educational Foundation
Funding provided by FQXi
Music provided by APM

[novapbs]

*GASP* We've been wrong all these YEARS?! And no one thought to tell us? How embarrassing!

[andrewson]

The picture shows what it actually looks like in a more real view. Its very similar because the electrons have a path, but because they don't want that weird picture, they shorten it to a more simplified thing. Of course it isn't a real life looking atom, but they for sure had the same idea on who created that atom picture

[spalderz]

The picture of atom with electron cloud still doesn't make sense to me. We're talking about "picture", not "video" with moving electrons. If the time freezes, I wonder whether we'll see electron cloud or individual electrons in their exact location.

[kikikokokukumalu]

I watched like 5 videos about electron orbital all with a combined time of >1hr when I could have just watched this 3 minute video 😛

[staycurious]

What is that outer cloud in atom, is it constant motion of electron that gives us some form of barrier looking thing or an actual cloud like thing

[spencer]

You're childhood dog looks the exact same as my dog now

[gamingwithzack]

Two cloud-like layers with a water drop looking nucleus

[davidcolman]

They should do a video demonstrating how to copy Vsauce videos down to the last atom. I can’t believe Nova would stoop so low. I.

[YuriYoshiosan]

Nine nine nine Nein nein nein *NEINNEINNEINNEINNEINNEIN* Percent.

[tunikivijeethsai]

photons enter our eye and incident on receptors..
and y our eye isn't filled of photons as a large number of photons enter of eye...
could u plz explain??

[PetikG]

Light is an electromagnetic wave, which hits the surface of something and gets reflected into our eyes. But particles are very very very tiny, that the electromagnetic wave we can see are too big to hit them.

[srwmbki]

Hi another question... If there's a universe with 4d beings (looking like human) since fourth dimension is time would they look exactly like us but have the ability to move to time or would they have different shape?

[krishnak]

Difference between hydrogen nucleus and proton

[JB_inks]

You're wrong about atoms being empty space. Sean Carroll cigs this on the Joe Rogan podcast

[hunter]

A perfect sphere cannot exist it is made of inimicalaly small straight lines. So ultimately it must be of a crystalline structure, allowing it to lock in place with other.(things?).

[sumeet]

Why the fish are we still taught it in the classical way

[austin]

2:14 anyone else see that the ball is floating or is it just me being blind like normal?😂 or is it edited into the most likely the third choice...

[rathodmkar]

every thing is nothing & nothing is everthing

[martinhansen]

theres no such thing as empty space even that space is an energy that we dont yet understand

[rbspider]

How do I see with all those photons stuck inside my eye and what is happening to the cells in my eye after being bombarded by photons traveling at the speed of light.