Suppose you need to image the structure of a virus with a diameter of 50 nm. For a sharp image, the wavelength of the probing wave must be 5.0 nm or less. We have seen that, for imaging such small objects, this short wavelength is obtained by using an electron beam in an electron microscope. Why don’t we simply use short-wavelength electromagnetic waves? There’s a problem with this approach: As the wavelength gets shorter, the energy of a photon of light gets greater and could damage or destroy the object being studied. Let’s compare the energy of a photon and an electron that can provide the same resolution. For the electron with a de broglie wavelength of 3.5 nm, what is the kinetic energy (in eV)?

Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics
10th Edition
ISBN:9781337553292
Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett
Publisher:Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett
Chapter39: Introduction To Quantum Physics
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 16P
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Suppose you need to image the structure of a virus with a diameter of 50 nm. For a sharp image, the wavelength of the probing wave must be 5.0 nm or less. We have seen that, for imaging such small objects, this short wavelength is obtained by using an electron beam in an electron microscope. Why don’t we simply use short-wavelength electromagnetic waves? There’s a problem with this approach: As the wavelength gets shorter, the energy of a photon of light gets greater and could damage or destroy the object being studied. Let’s compare the energy of a photon and an electron that can provide the same resolution. For the electron with a de broglie wavelength of 3.5 nm, what is the kinetic energy (in eV)?
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