Which of the following is required to resolve an object in an electron microscope?

• A. A prism
• B. A glass lens
• C. A beam of electrons
• D. Visible light

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that resolution in microscopy refers to the ability to distinguish two close objects as separate entities.
2. Recall that electron microscopes use electrons instead of visible light to illuminate the specimen, which allows for much higher resolution due to the shorter wavelength of electrons.
3. Recognize that traditional optical microscopes use glass lenses to focus visible light, but electron microscopes use electromagnetic lenses to focus electron beams.
4. Identify that a prism is used to disperse light into its component colors and is not involved in electron microscopy resolution.
5. Conclude that the key requirement to achieve high resolution in an electron microscope is the use of a beam of electrons, which have much shorter wavelengths than visible light, enabling finer detail to be resolved.