One advantage of electron microscopes over light microscopes is their:

• A. ability to view living cells
• B. lower cost and easier maintenance
• C. higher resolving power
• D. use of visible light for illumination

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the key differences between electron microscopes and light microscopes, focusing on their principles of operation and capabilities.
2. Recall that light microscopes use visible light to illuminate specimens, which limits their resolving power due to the wavelength of light.
3. Recognize that electron microscopes use electron beams instead of visible light, which have much shorter wavelengths, allowing for greater resolution.
4. Evaluate each option in the problem by comparing it to the known characteristics of electron microscopes: living cell observation, cost and maintenance, resolving power, and illumination source.
5. Conclude that the main advantage of electron microscopes is their higher resolving power, which allows them to reveal much finer structural details than light microscopes.