Name_____________________________________________ Grade /20

Living Environment Redo Grade /20

Lab # _________

TITLE- Using a Compound Microscope

OBJECTIVE- The microscope is an important scientific tool. It enables
a person to observe things too small to be seen with the naked eye. In
this activity you will use a compound microscope, a microscope having
two lenses. In this type of microscope, light passes through the
specimen, or object being viewed. One lens, the objective lens, causes
the light rays come from the specimen to spread apart, forming an
enlarged image of the object. The second lens, the ocular or eyepiece,
focuses and further enlarges the image. Working with a compound
microscope, you may use specimens that have been prepared in one of
two ways. A prepared slide is made to be permanent and can be
purchased from a supply house. A wet-mount slide is made for temporary use and can be made
and used during a lab period. In this lab we will be working with only prepared slides.

PRE-LAB QUESTIONS-
1. What is a compound microscope?






2. How is a prepared slide different from a wet-mount slide?








VOCABULARY- compound microscope, specimen, objective lens, ocular, prepared slide, wet-mount
slide

MATERIALS- Compound Microscope, slides, coverslips, lens paper, paper towels, forceps, water,
pipette, scissors, prepared slides









PROCEDURE
Part 1- Getting Familiar with the Microscope
1. Obtain your microscope. Always carry the microscope in
an upright position with one hand holding the arm and
the other supporting the base, as shown in figure 1. Set
it down away from the edge of the table.
2. Compare your microscope with figure 2. Identify each
part on your microscope.
3. Plug in your microscope and turn it on. The light should
illuminate. Examine the diaphragm. Adjust it to the largest opening so that the most light
enters the microscope. You can tell this by looking through the ocular/eyepiece.
4. Adjust the nosepiece so that the objective is set to the lowest power.
5. While looking at your microscope from the side, slowly turn the coarse adjustment toward you.
What do you observe? _________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Look at the number followed by an X on the side of each objective. This number is the
objectives magnifying power. The X stands for times. This the number tells how many
times and object is magnified by this lens.
a. What is the magnifying power of the low-power objective? ______________________________
b. What is the magnifying power of the high-power objective? ____________________________
7. If the lenses look dirty or smudged, carefully wipe them with lens paper. Use only lens paper
because other kinds of paper can damage the lens.
8. The ocular lens also has a magnifying power. The total magnifying power of the microscope is
easy to calculate. Simply multiply the magnifying power of the ocular by the power of the
objective.
a. What is the magnifying power of the ocular lens? _________________________
b. What is the total magnification produced when the low-power objective is used? Show
your calculations ________________________________________________________________
c. What is the total magnification produced when the high-power objective is used? Show
your calculations ________________________________________________________________





Part 2-Using Prepared Slides
1. Obtain a letter e slide.
2. Click the low-power objective into place. Set the slide on the stage so that the letter e is in
reading position and over the hole in the stage. Fasten the slide with stage clips.
3. Look at the microscope from the side. Use the coarse adjustment knob to lower raise the
stage until the objective is about to 1 cm above the slide, or until you feel an automatic
stop.
4. Look into the ocular. Slowly raise the stage by turning the coarse adjustment until the letter
comes into focus. Use the fine adjustment to sharpen the focus. In the space below, draw the
letter e exactly how you see it though the microscope.










5. Move the slide to the left. Which way does the image move? _________________________________
6. Move the slide to the right. Which way does the image move? ________________________________
7. Move the slide toward you. Which way does the image move? _________________________________
8. Move the slide away from you. Which way does the image move? ______________________________
9. Watching from the slide, carefully switch to the high-power objective. Make sure that the
objective does not hit the slide.
10. Use the fine adjustment knob to focus on the letter e. Draw the letter e exactly as you see
it under high power.











11. Is the field of view (area being viewed) larger or smaller on high power? ______________________
12. Compare the brightness of the field under high power and low power.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. Obtain random slides and draw what you observe under scanning power and low.

Specimen 1 ____________________________
Low Power High Power














Specimen 2 ______________________________
Low Power High Power













ANALYSIS QUESTIONS
1. Define the following
a. Compound microscope


b. Ocular



c. Objective



d. Specimen



e. Prepared slide
2. What did the microscope do to the image of the letter e?







3. Explain why you must your center and focus the object in the field of view under low power
before switching to high power?








4. Why is only the fine adjustment used for high power?







5. If you were scanning a slide to find a particular area, which objective would be better to use?
Why?