Differences Between Bright and Dark Field Microscopes

 A microscope is an important tool of researchers as well as microscopy students which helps

illuminate and magnify certain specimens.
 The bright field microscope can also be termed as the light microscope. It is considered the most basic
type of microscope which is why microscopy students are first exposed to handling this type of
microscope.
 When you view a particular specimen under a bright field microscope, you will observe that the
specimen is dark while its background is bright; hence the name bright field microscope.
 On the other hand, when you view a particular specimen under a dark field microscope, you will
observe that the specimen is bright while its background is dark; hence the name dark field
microscope.
 Both bright and dark field microscopes can be used in various disciplines such as microbiology,
bacteriology, or any other life sciences.
 Specimens which are transparent are often stained and observed under a bright field microscope.
Specimens which absorb little or no light are kept unstained and observed under a dark field
microscope.

Difference Between Optical and Electron Microscope

1. Optical microscopes are the simplest and oldest microscopes around compared to the newer
electron model.
2. Optical models are cheaper and easier to maintain than the electron microscope.
3. Optical microscopes use a simple lens, whereas electron microscopes use an electrostatic or
electromagnetic lens.
4. Optical microscopes have a maximum magnification power of 1,000, compared to the better
resolving power of the electron microscope that can reach 1,000,000 times.
5. Optical microscopes use photons or light energy, while electron microscopes use electrons, which
have shorter wavelengths that allows greater magnification.
6. Overall, electron microscopes deliver a more detailed image compared to optical microscopes.

Difference Between TEM and SEM

Both SEM (scanning electron microscope/microscopy) and TEM (transmission electron
microscope/microscopy) refer both to the instrument and the method used in electron microscopy.
There are a variety of similarities between the two. Both are types of electron microscopes and give
the possibility of seeing, studying, and examining small, subatomic particles or compositions of a
sample. Both also use electrons (specifically, electron beams), the negative charge of an atom. Also,
both samples in use are required to be “stained” or mixed with a particular element in order to
produce images. Images produced from these instruments are highly magnified and have a high
resolution.
However, an SEM and TEM also share some differences. The method used in SEM is based on
scattered electrons while TEM is based on transmitted electrons. The scattered electrons in SEM are
classified as backscattered or secondary electrons. However, there is no other classification of
electrons in TEM.
The scattered electrons in SEM produced the image of the sample after the microscope collects and
counts the scattered electrons. In TEM, electrons are directly pointed toward the sample. The
electrons that pass through the sample are the parts that are illuminated in the image.
The focus of analysis is also different. SEM focuses on the sample’s surface and its composition. On
the other hand, TEM seeks to see what is inside or beyond the surface. SEM also shows the sample
bit by bit while TEM shows the sample as a whole. SEM also provides a three-dimensional image
while TEM delivers a two-dimensional picture.
In terms of magnification and resolution, TEM has an advantage compared to SEM. TEM has up to
a 50 million magnification level while SEM only offers 2 million as a maximum level of
magnification. The resolution of TEM is 0.5 angstroms while SEM has 0.4 nanometres. However,
SEM images have a better depth of field compared to TEM produced images.
Another point of difference is the sample thickness, “staining,” and preparations. The sample in
TEM is cut thinner in contrast to a SEM sample. In addition, an SEM sample is “stained” by an
element that captures the scattered electrons.
In SEM, the sample is prepared on specialized aluminium stubs and placed on the bottom of the
chamber of the instrument. The image of the sample is projected onto the CRT or television-like
screen.
On the other hand, TEM requires the sample to be prepared in a TEM grid and placed in the middle
of the specialized chamber of the microscope. The image is produced by the microscope via
fluorescent screens.
Another feature of SEM is that the area where the sample is placed can be rotated in different
angles.
TEM was developed earlier than SEM. TEM was invented by Max Knoll and Ernst Ruska in 1931.
Meanwhile, SEM was created in 1942. It was developed at a later time due to the complexity of the
machine’s scanning process.
Summary:
 Both SEM and TEM are two types of electron microscopes and are tools to view and examine
small samples. Both instruments use electrons or electron beams. The images produced in
both tools are highly magnified and offer high resolution.

How each microscope works is very different from another. SEM scans the surface of the
sample by releasing electrons and making the electrons bounce or scatter upon impact. The
machine collects the scattered electrons and produces an image. The image is visualized on a
television-like screen. On the other hand, TEM processes the sample by directing an electron
beam through the sample. The result is seen using a fluorescent screen.

Images are also a point of difference between two tools. SEM images are three-dimensional
and are accurate representations while TEM pictures are two-dimensional and might require
a little bit of interpretation. In terms of resolution and magnification, TEM gains more
advantages compared to SEM.

Difference Between Magnification and Resolution

1.Magnification is the ability of optical instruments, such as a telescope or a microscope, to make an
object bigger while resolution is the ability of optical instruments to produce images that are clearer,
finer, and sharper.
2.Resolution is the power of an optical instrument to capture and produce more details of an image
while magnification is the power of an instrument to create and produce a much larger image of an
object.
3.Resolution can be expressed in arcsec or seconds while magnification can be expressed by a whole
number and the letter “X.”
4.Although both are dependent upon each other, a high magnification does not always guarantee a
high resolution.
5.Magnification allows us to see small objects, especially those that are not visible to the naked eye,
while resolution allows us to see these objects more clearly and with more details.

Difference Between AFM and STM

1. AFM captures precise images by moving a nanometer sized tip across the surface of the image.
The STM captures images using quantum tunneling.
2. The probe makes a direct contact with the surface or calculates the incipient chemical bonding in
AFM. The STM images indirectly by calculating the quantum degree tunneling between he probe
and sample.
3. The tip in AFM touches the surface gently touches the surface whereas in STM, the tip is kept at a
short distance from the surface.
4. AFM resolution is better than the STM. This is why AFM is widely used in nano-technology.
5. When Scanning Tunneling Microscope is normally applicable to conductors, the Atomic Force
Microscope is applicable to both conductors and insulators.
6. The AFM suits well with liquid and gas environments whereas STM operates only in high vacuum.
7. Of the two microscopes, the Scanning Tunneling Microscope was the first to be developed.

Differences Between a Raster Scan and a Random Scan Display

 A raster scan draws on the entire screen while a random scan does not.
 Random scan images are stored as vectors.
 Raster scans have a constant refresh rate while random scans do not.
 Raster scan displays are typically coloured while random scan displays are monochromatic.
 Raster scan displays can achieve realism while random scan displays cannot.

Difference between Skimming and Scanning

Skimming and scanning are both reading techniques. These reading skills help students, needing to
get information from the written word, access the required information more effectively. They use
fast reading abilities but in effect are different methods for different purposes.

What is skimming?
The reader reads an article to get the main ideas and gist of the story. Skimming is used to preview a
book quickly to decide if it is worth reading or to cast an eye over an article for the main points. A
reader who is skimming can read more text in less time. The text is read with the purpose of finding
the main facts. The skill of skimming requires a structure or plan so that not everything is read but
the important message is still grasped. The skimmer reads the first few paragraphs in detail to get
the general message. Then after that reads the first line of each paragraph, these lines are known as
‘topic sentences.’ The final paragraph is important as it is the conclusion of the article and is read
in full as the final message of the article.

The act of skimming has other connotations but the overall message relates to taking something off
the top of an item or moving over the top of something.
 Skimming:
 An act of taking money or profits off the top of an organisation.
 The act of lifting the cream off the top of the milk or the fat off the top of the liquid. The skimmer
only takes the top part of the liquid.
 Describes the act of throwing a flat stone across the water and watching it bounce off the surface and
skims to the other side.
 Can be an act of fraud when a credit card is intercepted and duplicated so that funds can be
skimmed from the account.

What is scanning?
Scanning is a reading skill that enables the reader to look for a specific piece of information within
an item of text. A reader will scan for a particular number in a phone directory for instance or a
name on a list. The written articles that are scanned are often written in a particular order or in
categories. The scanner has the key words in mind as they scan the list.
The term scanning can be used to refer to other actions associated with looking for something in
particular.

Scanning:
 Searching the horizon looking for something in the distance.
 used in the digital world as a machine that scans items to be copied such as documents and
certificates.
 Medical technique to look for injury or disease. There are MRI scans, Magnetic Resonance Image
and CT or Computed Tomography scans to produce images of body structures.
In the final analysis would these two reading techniques really do justice to reading quality
literature? Harold Bloom, a renowned speed reader, is reputed to be able to ‘read’ 1000 pages in an
hour. He could devour a novel like Jane Eyre in his lunch break. The average reader would
probably have literary indigestion after such a feast of skimming or scanning a classical novel!