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What is the best resolving power that can be attained with a light microscope?

Question

What is the best resolving power that can be attained with a light microscope?

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Solution

The best resolving power that can be attained with a light microscope is approximately 0.2 micrometers (200 nanometers). This is due to the diffraction limit of light, which is determined by the wavelength of light used and the numerical aperture of the microscope objective.

Here are the steps to understand this:

  1. The resolving power of a microscope is the ability of the microscope to distinguish two points as separate entities. It is determined by the wavelength of light used and the numerical aperture of the objective lens.

  2. The formula for resolving power (d) is given by d = λ / (2NA), where λ is the wavelength of light used and NA is the numerical aperture of the objective lens.

  3. The wavelength of visible light ranges from about 400 to 700 nanometers. The numerical aperture of a high-quality microscope objective can be up to 1.4.

  4. If we use light with a wavelength of 400 nanometers (the shortest wavelength of visible light) and an objective with a numerical aperture of 1.4, the best resolving power we can achieve is about 0.2 micrometers (200 nanometers).

  5. In practice, the resolving power of a light microscope is often less than this theoretical limit due to imperfections in the lenses and other components of the microscope.

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