
Light
Microscopy*
12
The light microscope uses the visible or near visible
portion
of the electromagnetic
spectrum; light microscopy is the interpretive use of the light microscope. This
technique, which is much older than
other
characterization instruments, can trace
its
origin to the 17th century. Modern analytical and characterization methods
began
about 150
years
ago when thin sections of rocks and minerals, and the first
polished metal and metal-alloy specimens were prepared and viewed with the in-
tention of
correlating
their structures with their properties. The technique involves,
at its very basic
level,
the simple, direct visual observatio ...