Description 2

You: ‘So in SEM, the beam hits the specimen’s surface, revealing external features. Meanwhile, in TEM, electrons travel through the sample, providing information about internal structures. That aligns with their names—‘scanning’ for surface imaging, and ‘transmission’ for penetrating the sample.’

Prof. Jones: ‘Precisely. Now, which statement aligns with those concepts?’ 

Description 1: Both SEM and TEM collect electrons emitted only from the sample surface, but SEM yields a 3D image and TEM yields a flat image.

Description 3: SEM focuses a beam on the sample’s surface for a 3D topography, while TEM transmits electrons through an ultrathin section for a 2D-like internal view.