The AFM uses a sharp metal tip to measure the tiny forces between the tip and the sample , such as a molecule , to create an image . In the present experiments , the molecule investigated was pentacene . Pentacene is an oblong organic molecule consisting of 22 carbon atoms and 14 hydrogen atoms measuring 1.4 nanometers in length . The spacing between neighboring carbon atoms is only 0.14 nanometers--roughly 1 million times smaller then the diameter of a grain of sand . In the experimental image , the hexagonal shapes of the five carbon rings as well as the carbon atoms in the molecule are clearly resolved . Even the positions of the hydrogen atoms of the molecule can be deduced from the image .