Important general rules:
Q. How much bigger does an object appear If you see it at low power vs high power?
Changing from low power to high power increases the magnification of a specimen. The amount an image is magnified is equal to the magnification of the ocular lens, or eyepiece, multiplied by the magnification of the objective lens. Usually, the ocular lens has a magnification of 10x.
Table of Contents
- Q. How much bigger does an object appear If you see it at low power vs high power?
- Q. What is the total magnification of low power?
- Q. What does 40x mean on a microscope?
- Q. Which objective 4X 10X 40x has the largest magnification?
- Q. What is the proper way to carry a microscope?
- Q. How should you hold the microscope when you move it or carry it?
Q. What is the total magnification of low power?
10X – This objective magnifies the image by a factor of 10 and is referred to as the “low power” objective.
Q. What does 40x mean on a microscope?
Total magnification = Objective magnification X ocular magnification. So for 10X objective and 10X ocular, Total magnification = 10 X 10 = 100X (this means that the image being viewed will appear to be 100 times its actual size). For a 40X objective and 10X ocular, Total magnification = 10 X 40 = 400X.
Q. Which objective 4X 10X 40x has the largest magnification?
| Magnification | Total Magnification | |
|---|---|---|
| Scanning | 4x | 40x |
| Low Power | 10x | 100x |
| High Power | 40x | 400x |
| Oil Immersion | 100x | 1000x |
To calculate the total magnification of the compound light microscope multiply the magnification power of the ocular lens by the power of the objective lens. For instance, a 10x ocular and a 40x objective would have a 400x total magnification. The highest total magnification for a compound light microscope is 1000x.
Q. What is the proper way to carry a microscope?
- Always carry the microscope with 2 hands—place one hand on the microscope arm and the other hand under the microscope base.
- Do not touch the objective lenses (i.e. the tips of the objectives).
- Keep the objectives in the scan position and keep the stage low when adding or removing slides.
Q. How should you hold the microscope when you move it or carry it?
When moving the microscope, always carry it with both hands (Figure 1). Grasp the arm with one hand and place the other hand under the base for support.
