• Question: What is the difference between a light and an electron microscope?

    Asked by Mbm_8486 to Carrie, Cedric, Ellen, Ines, Rupert on 13 Mar 2017.
    • Photo: Carrie Ijichi

      Carrie Ijichi answered on 13 Mar 2017:

      I don’t use microscopes for work so I don’t know much about them. I know the electron microscope uses electron beams instead of light to help you see but I’ve no idea how it does that!

    • Photo: Ellen Williams

      Ellen Williams answered on 13 Mar 2017:

      i don’t know anymore than Carrie has just answered with, sorry! I use microscopes but only occasionally and always light. The other guys may have a more detailed answer for you though 🙂

    • Photo: Cedric Tan

      Cedric Tan answered on 13 Mar 2017:

      The light microscope has a lower resolution than the electron microscope because of the differences in properties of light versus electrons. Therefore, electron microscope allows us to see small things like the surface texture of a fabric. However, the sample has to be prepared with chemical and hence not living when using an electron microscope. The light microscope enables us to see live moving small animals.

    • Photo: Rupert Marshall

      Rupert Marshall answered on 15 Mar 2017:

      Electron microscopes can help you see things much smaller than light microscopes. In fact electron microscopes are over 100 times more powerful than a light microscope. But electron microscopes need things to be stained with chemicals – basically they need to be dead, which isn’t useful when studying behaviour! Electron microscopes do let you can see some pretty tiny things – but they are very expensive.

      I use binoculars when studying birds – much cheaper!

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