The Size of the Smallest Things That Can Be Seen

question 72

Multiple Choice

The size of the smallest things that can be seen with an optical microscope is limited by diffraction.Which of the following could help a microscopist see smaller things?

• A)A more powerful microscope could be used.
• B)The microscope could have a lens with a shorter focal length.
• C)The microscope could have a lens with a longer focal length.
• D)The diameter of the lens could be smaller.
• E)Light with a shorter wavelength could be used.

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Definitions:

Malthus

Refers to Thomas Malthus, an English economist and demographer known for his theory that population growth will outpace agricultural production, leading to widespread poverty.

Diminishing Marginal Returns

An economic principle stating that as more of a variable input is added to a fixed input, the additional output gained from each new unit of variable input will eventually decrease.

Marginal Product

The increase in output that results from using one more unit of a particular input, keeping other inputs constant.

Seminiferous Tubules

Narrow, coiled tubules within the testes where spermatogenesis, the process of sperm production, occurs.