The evolution of surfaces and their measurement

Abstract

Surfaces and their interactions are at the heart of living systems and all moving objects. They have fascinated man from the ancient Egyptians, through Leonardo Da Vinci in the Renaissance period, to nanotechnologists of today. This paper elucidates the science of surfaces and their interactions, covering the importance of surfaces and how they influence us all in terms of energy, environment and quality of life. It attempts to uncover the story of mankind‟s deepening understanding of surfaces and their measurement, and to provide an overview of surface measurement and shows how current thinking has evolved from a complicated historical background