What is the approximate resolution of Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)?

Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) is a powerful imaging technique that allows researchers to visualize the ultrastructure of materials at a very high resolution. The correct resolution of TEM is approximately 0.0025 micrometers, or 2.5 nanometers. This capability is significantly higher than that of light microscopy, which is typically limited to around 200 nanometers due to the diffraction limit of visible light.

The exceptional resolution of TEM arises from the use of electron beams instead of light beams. Electrons have much shorter wavelengths than visible light, enabling TEM to resolve structures at the atomic level, making it invaluable in materials science, biology, and nanotechnology. In this context, the precision of 0.0025 micrometers allows researchers to observe intricate details such as the arrangement of atoms in a crystal lattice, the morphology of nanoparticles, and the ultrastructure of cells.

In comparison, the other values listed do not capture the capabilities of TEM accurately, as they represent larger dimensions than the high-resolution that TEM is capable of achieving. Thus, the 0.0025 micrometers specification stands out as the optimal representation of TEM's resolution power.