c) Complex samples are often laterally heterogeneous. d) Complex samples often have fuzzy interfaces. A "fluffy" interface will often lead to a viscoelastic correction and, as a consequence, to a non-zero Δ(w/2) as well as an overtone-dependent Sauerbrey mass. In the absence of such effects, one may conclude that the outer interface of film is sharp. e) When the viscoelastic correction, as discussed in (b), is insignificant, this does by no means imply that the film is not swollen by the solvent. It only means that the (swollen) film is much more rigid than the ambient liquid. QCM data taken on the wet sample alone do not allow inference of the degree of swelling. The amount of swelling can be inferred from the comparison of the wet and the dry thickness. The degree of swelling is also accessible by comparing the acoustic thickness (in the Sauerbrey sense) to the optical thickness as determined by, for example, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy or ellipsometry. Solvent contained in the film usually does contribute to the acoustic thickness (because it takes part in the movement), whereas it does not contribute to the optic thickness (because the electronic polarizability of a solvent molecule does not change when it is located inside a film). The difference in dry and wet mass is shown with QCM-D and MP-SPR for instance in protein adsorption on nanocellulose and in other soft materials. Point contacts The equations concerning viscoelastic properties assume planar layer systems. A frequency shift is also induced when the crystal makes contact with discrete objects across small, load-bearing asperities. Such contacts are often encountered with rough surfaces. It is assumed that the stress–speed ratio may be replaced by an average stress–speed ratio, where the average stress just is the lateral force divided by the active area of the crystal. Often, the external object is so heavy that it does not take part in the MHz oscillation of the crystal due to inertia. It then rests in place in the laboratory frame. When the crystal surface is laterally displaced, the contact exerts a restoring force upon the crystal surface. The stress is proportional to the number density of the contacts, NS, and their average spring constant, κS. The spring constant may be complex (κS* = κS’ + iκS’’), where the imaginary part quantifies a withdrawal of energy from the crystal oscillation (for instance due to viscoelastic effects).