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Between bodies of a micron or less in size, surface forces are more influential than gravity or inertia. Surface forces are measured by controlling the distance between a pair of surfaces using a piezo element. The displacement of the spring holding the specimens is measured by FECO, which provides a distance resolution of O.1 nm. (See upper diagram.)
The lower diagram shows the surface forces working between a sub-fragment 1 (S1) of myosin adsorbed onto a pair of mica surfaces. Myosin is one of the key proteins to the sliding motion of muscles. In the diagram, regular jumps (see arrows) are observed occurring in the force-distance curve over distances equivalent to the minor axis of S1.
Measuring the distance between two surfaces by Angstrom order
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