electron microscope

/i'lektrɔn'maikrəskoup/

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Electron Microscope

Definition: An electron microscope is a type of microscope that uses a beam of electrons instead of light to see very small objects. It can magnify things much more than a regular light microscope, allowing scientists to see tiny details that are not visible with just light.

Advanced Usage:

• Electron microscopes are essential in fields like biology, materials science, and nanotechnology because they allow researchers to study the fine details of samples at a much higher resolution than light microscopes.

Different Meanings:

In general, "microscope" refers to any device that magnifies objects. However, "electron microscope" specifically refers to those that use electrons for higher magnification.

Synonyms:

• High-resolution microscope
• Electron imaging device

Related Terms:

• Light Microscope: A basic microscope that uses light to magnify objects.
• Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM): A type of electron microscope that scans the surface of a sample.
• Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM): A type of electron microscope that transmits electrons through a very thin sample.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

There aren’t specific idioms or phrasal verbs related to "electron microscope," but here are a couple of phrases that might be useful: - "Zoom in on" - This means to focus on something in detail, similar to what an electron microscope does. - Example: "We need to zoom in on the data to better understand the results." - "Look closely" - This phrase means to examine something carefully, which is what you do when using an electron microscope. - Example: "You need to look closely at the samples under the microscope."

Summary:

An electron microscope is a powerful scientific tool for seeing very small things in great detail. It is used in many fields and has specific variants like SEM and TEM.

Academic

Noun

1. a microscope that is similar in purpose to a light microscope but achieves much greater resolving power by using a parallel beam of electrons to illuminate the object instead of a beam of light