Final answer:
A scanning electron microscope is best for visualizing surface details of samples at high magnifications, not for internal structures which are better seen with a transmission electron microscope. Therefore, it would not be effective for visualizing details inside cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most effective use of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) is for visualizing details of surface characteristics of samples at very high magnifications. Option B) details of structures inside cells would not be most effectively visualized with an SEM as this microscope is designed to render the surface details of a specimen by reflecting a beam of electrons off the surface after the specimen is coated with a metal, typically gold. On the other hand, a transmission electron microscope (TEM) would be more appropriate for viewing internal structures as it allows the electron beam to penetrate through the specimen, showing detailed internal structures. Therefore, when comparing the options provided, details of structures inside cells would not be most effectively visualized with an SEM. Rather, SEM would be more suited for viewing the very small surface structures of a cell, like the external shapes and textures that are too small for standard light microscopes.
When viewing cells swimming in a drop of pond water, a light microscope would be more appropriate as it can visualize small living cells which have been stained, unlike the SEM that requires specimens to be dead and coated with metal. Scientists commonly use special stains to make individual components of cells easier to see when viewed through a light microscope.