How small an object can u see with a light microscope?

Question

How small an object is it possible to see with a light microscope?

A. 2 micrometers

B. 200 micrometers

C. 20 micrometers

D. 0.2 micrometer

E. 2 millimeters

Answer 1

Limitations of light microscopy lie partly in the resolution capability, which is limited by the diffraction of light. The limit of resolution is around 0.2 micrometers, so D is your answer.

Answer 2

The limit is half a wavelength of the light. Since visible light goes down to 400nm then half of that is 200nm which is 0.2μm

Answer 3

The typical compound light microscope is capable of increasing our ability to see detail by 1000 times so that objects as small as 0.1 micrometer (um) or 100 nanometers (nm) can be seen.