Answer
The resolution of an optical microscope places a lower limit on the size of an object that can be clearly seen. Resolution is the ability of the microscope to distinguish between two closely spaced objects. The resolution of an optical microscope is limited by the wavelength of the light used to illuminate the sample and the aperture of the objective lens.
Work Step by Step
The resolution of an optical microscope is given by the Abbe's diffraction limit which states that the resolution of an optical microscope is equal to half of the wavelength of light used to illuminate the sample divided by the numerical aperture of the objective lens. The shorter the wavelength of light and the greater the numerical aperture, the higher the resolution of the microscope.
In summary, the resolution of an optical microscope places a lower limit on the size of an object that can be clearly seen. The resolution of the microscope is limited by the wavelength of the light used to illuminate the sample and the aperture of the objective lens and the resolution of an optical microscope is given by the Abbe's diffraction limit. The shorter the wavelength of light and the greater the numerical aperture, the higher the resolution of the microscope.
