Some information

Just didnt want u guys to look like fools when u get to NTU and ask the guy "What is a electron microscope?"

THE ELECTRON MICROSCOPE

The electron microscope is a type of microscope capable of millions of times of magnification. It is superior to a general, ordinary microscope for this trait. It works by releasing a beam of electrons down to the specimen. The specimen must be in a conducting material, and gold is usually used to coat the specimen.

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above: A spider coated in gold for electron microscopic scanning. please dont scream michelle :D

source: http://wapedia.mobi/en/File:Gold_Spider_SEM_sample.jpg

The purpose of coating specimens with conductors is simply because without conductors, the electrons would disperse around the surface of the specimen and fail to return with an image of the specimen, since secondary beams beamed back to the microscope produces an image of the specimen at the desired magnification.