Difference Between Light Microscope and Electron Microscope

Microscopes are available in different sizes and particular usage. The most common types of microscopes are the light microscope and electron microscope. Each of these microscopes possesses distinct features and is appropriate for different purposes. Both light microscopes and electron microscopes use radiation to form detailed images of objects that a human eye cannot produce unaided. The main difference between light microscope and electron microscope is that beam of electrons is used for magnifying the image of an object while visible light is used in the light microscope to magnify images of tiny areas of materials or biological specimens. Difference between electron microscope and light microscope are listed below in a tabular column.

Light Microscope vs Electron Microscope

Difference Between Electron Microscope and Light Microscope
Light Microscope	Electron Microscope
Uses light (approx 400-700 nm) as an illuminating source	Uses electron beams (approx 1 nm) as an illuminating source
Lower magnification than an electron microscope	Higher magnification
No risk of radiation leakage	Risk of radiation leakage
Specimen preparation takes about a few minutes or an hour	Specimen preparation takes several days
Both live and dead specimen can be seen	Only dead and the dried specimen can be seen
The image formation depends upon the light absorption from the different zones of the specimen	The image formation depends upon the electron scattering
The image is seen through the ocular lens. No screen needed	The image is received on a zinc sulfate fluorescent screen
Useful magnification of 500x to 1500x	Direct magnification as high as 16000x and photographic magnification as high as 1000000 x
Low resolution	High resolution
Inexpensive and requires a low maintenance cost	Expensive and high maintenance

Though both the microscopes are important in their own way, nowadays electron microscopes are widely used by scientists in laboratories for the detailed study of organisms while light microscopes are used by schools and colleges for viewing organisms that are easily visible through it.

Uses of Microscope	Optical Instruments
Davisson Germer Experiment	Lenses in Optics

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