Question

How does the resolution of a specimen’s image viewed under a compound light microscope compare to that of a scanning electron microscope?

Answer 1

The resolution of the image depends on the specimen being viewed, not on the microscope being used.

A scanning electron microscope provides much better resolution than a compound light microscope.

A compound light microscope provides much better resolution than a scanning electron microscope.

The resolution is the same using either microscope; the microscopes differ only in magnification power.

Answer 2

To start with... do you know what resolution is?

Answer 3

how clear

Answer 4

the clarity

Answer 5

right?

Answer 6

?

Answer 7

Kind of. It's actually the ability to see if two points that are very close together are actually different points.

In practice, that means it's the amount of detail that you can see. If you've already reached the maximum resolution but keep increasing the magnification, you get a zoomed in image without any more detail, so what you see will just get bigger and blurrier but you won't see more. Think about what happens if you have a low-resolution computer graphic (e.g. a screenshot from a video game from the 90s) and you magnify it, i.e. make it bigger. All that will happen is that the pixels will get bigger, but you won't get any new information.

Answer 8

ok!

Answer 9

So... when you compare pictures taken with a light microscope and an electron microscope, do you think there's a difference in the amount of detail that you see?

Answer 10

yes

Answer 11

so that would rule out A and D.

Answer 12

?????

Answer 13

Right. Which type of microscope allows you to see more detail?

Answer 14

scanning electron

Answer 15

?

Answer 16

Yep! Light microscopes are generally constrained by the relatively long wavelength of light -- it's the wavelength that determines the resolution (don't worry, you'll learn all about it in physics class later). Electrons have a much smaller wavelength, so that means electron microscopes can have much higher resolutions.

Answer 17

thanks for your help once again! :)

Answer 18

No problem!