Which type of microscope achieves the highest magnification and greatest resolution?

• A. Scanning electron microscope
• B. Compound light microscope
• C. Dissecting (stereo) microscope
• D. Transmission electron microscope

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the key terms: magnification refers to how much larger an image appears compared to the actual size, and resolution is the ability to distinguish two close points as separate entities.
2. Review the types of microscopes listed: compound light microscope uses visible light and lenses, dissecting (stereo) microscope provides a 3D view with lower magnification, scanning electron microscope (SEM) scans the surface with electrons, and transmission electron microscope (TEM) transmits electrons through a thin specimen.
3. Compare magnification capabilities: compound light microscopes typically magnify up to 1000-2000x, dissecting microscopes have lower magnification (up to about 100x), SEMs can magnify up to around 100,000x, and TEMs can magnify up to 1,000,000x or more.
4. Compare resolution limits: light microscopes are limited by the wavelength of visible light (~200 nm resolution), SEMs improve resolution to about 1-10 nm by using electrons, and TEMs achieve even higher resolution (around 0.1 nm) because electrons have much shorter wavelengths and pass through the specimen.
5. Conclude that the transmission electron microscope achieves the highest magnification and greatest resolution because it uses transmitted electrons with very short wavelengths, allowing detailed visualization at the molecular or atomic level.