You have a microscope with a resolution of 0.5 um. Your bacteria on your sample are 0.3 um apart on the slide. What will you see when you focus on your sample?

Human Anatomy & Physiology (11th Edition)
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Chapter1: The Human Body: An Orientation
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**Question:**

You have a microscope with a resolution of 0.5 µm. Your bacteria on your sample are 0.3 µm apart on the slide. What will you see when you focus on your sample?

**Explanation:**

When using a microscope with a resolution of 0.5 micrometers (µm), it means that the microscope can clearly distinguish between two points that are at least 0.5 µm apart. In this case, if the bacteria in your sample are only 0.3 µm apart, the microscope will not be able to distinguish them as separate entities. Instead, the bacteria will appear blurred together as a single shape or mass because the distance between them is smaller than the resolving power of the microscope.

**Understanding Resolution:**

Resolution is a critical parameter for microscopes and it defines the minimum distance between two points that can be distinguished as separate points. Higher resolution numbers mean lower resolving power, and conversely, a lower resolution number indicates higher resolving power, allowing the microscope to distinguish finer details.

**Application in Microscopy:**

For observing bacteria with greater precision, a microscope with a higher resolving power (lower resolution value) would be required. In this case, even though individual bacteria are closely spaced, using a microscope with a resolution of 0.3 µm or less would allow us to see them as separate entities.
Transcribed Image Text:**Question:** You have a microscope with a resolution of 0.5 µm. Your bacteria on your sample are 0.3 µm apart on the slide. What will you see when you focus on your sample? **Explanation:** When using a microscope with a resolution of 0.5 micrometers (µm), it means that the microscope can clearly distinguish between two points that are at least 0.5 µm apart. In this case, if the bacteria in your sample are only 0.3 µm apart, the microscope will not be able to distinguish them as separate entities. Instead, the bacteria will appear blurred together as a single shape or mass because the distance between them is smaller than the resolving power of the microscope. **Understanding Resolution:** Resolution is a critical parameter for microscopes and it defines the minimum distance between two points that can be distinguished as separate points. Higher resolution numbers mean lower resolving power, and conversely, a lower resolution number indicates higher resolving power, allowing the microscope to distinguish finer details. **Application in Microscopy:** For observing bacteria with greater precision, a microscope with a higher resolving power (lower resolution value) would be required. In this case, even though individual bacteria are closely spaced, using a microscope with a resolution of 0.3 µm or less would allow us to see them as separate entities.
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