Question:medium

Arrange the following microscope in the increasing order of resolving power:
A. SEM
B. Compound
C. TEM
D. Polarising
E. Fluorescence

Show Hint

Remember the hierarchy of magnification: Light Microscopes<Electron Microscopes. Within electron microscopes, \textbf{T}EM (\textbf{T}ransmission) offers higher resolution for seeing \textbf{t}hrough a sample than \textbf{S}EM (\textbf{S}canning) does for seeing the \textbf{s}urface.
Updated On: Feb 18, 2026
  • B, D, E, A, C
  • A, B, C, D, E
  • D, C, B, E, A
  • E, D, C, A, B
Show Solution

The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

A microscope's resolving power determines its ability to differentiate closely positioned points. Greater resolving power allows for the observation of finer details.
Procedure 1: Categorize microscopes. Light microscopes (B, D, E) and electron microscopes (A, C) are the two main groups. Electron microscopes exhibit superior resolving power compared to light microscopes, attributed to electrons' shorter wavelength compared to visible light.

Procedure 2: Rank light microscopes. Compound (B), Polarising (D), and Fluorescence (E) microscopes are types of light microscopes. Their theoretical resolving power is comparable, limited by light's wavelength. For this analysis, they are grouped at the lower end of the scale. The specific order can vary, but they belong to the same category.

Procedure 3: Rank electron microscopes. Within electron microscopes, the Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM - C) generally surpasses the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM - A) in resolving power. TEM can visualize atomic-level details, while SEM focuses on surface features.

Procedure 4: Combine the rankings. The order of increasing resolving power is: Light Microscopes \(\rightarrow\) SEM \(\rightarrow\) TEM.The sequence is (D, E, B) \(\rightarrow\) A \(\rightarrow\) C. Option (1) offers a feasible order: B, D, E, A, C, correctly positioning light microscopes first, followed by SEM, and concluding with TEM, which has the highest resolution.
Was this answer helpful?
0