Which wave length of light is used in an optical microscope? (a) radio wave (b) \(\mathrm{X}\) - ray (c) infrared (d) visible

Short Answer

Expert verified
The wavelength of light used in an optical microscope is \( (d) \) visible light. Optical microscopes use visible light with wavelengths between approximately 400 nm to 700 nm to produce magnified images of small objects visible to the human eye.

Step by step solution

01

Review the options

We have four options: radio wave, X-ray, infrared, and visible light. Optical microscopes are designed to manipulate light to produce magnified images, so we need to determine which type of light would be most appropriate for this purpose.
02

Eliminate irrelevant options

Optical microscopes utilize the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, as they are designed for viewing small objects with the naked eye. Therefore, we can eliminate options (a), (b), and (c): (a) Radio waves have much larger wavelengths than those used by optical microscopes. (b) X-rays have much smaller wavelengths and are not used in optical microscopes, as they would require special detectors and are potentially harmful to biological samples. (c) Infrared light has a longer wavelength than visible light, so it wouldn't provide enough resolution to produce a clear image in an optical microscope.
03

Choose the correct answer

From the remaining option, we can determine that the correct answer is (d) visible light. Optical microscopes rely on the wavelengths in the visible range (approx. 400 nm to 700 nm) because the human eye is sensitive to these wavelengths, and they also provide enough resolution to examine small objects.
04

Present the final answer

The wavelength of light used in an optical microscope is (d) visible light. Optical microscopes use visible light (around 400 nm to 700 nm) to produce magnified images of small objects that can be observed by the human eye.

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