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Understanding Compound Microscopes

The compound microscope, invented by Zacharias Janssen in 1590, uses lenses and light to magnify images, featuring two main lenses: the ocular lens and the objective lens. Key parts include the eyepiece, tube, arm, base, illuminator, stage, nosepiece, objective lenses, rack stop, condenser lens, and diaphragm. Magnification is calculated by multiplying the eyepiece power by the objective power, with examples provided for both microscope and drawing magnification.

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8 views3 pages

Understanding Compound Microscopes

The compound microscope, invented by Zacharias Janssen in 1590, uses lenses and light to magnify images, featuring two main lenses: the ocular lens and the objective lens. Key parts include the eyepiece, tube, arm, base, illuminator, stage, nosepiece, objective lenses, rack stop, condenser lens, and diaphragm. Magnification is calculated by multiplying the eyepiece power by the objective power, with examples provided for both microscope and drawing magnification.

Uploaded by

mikaelapersonal9
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Microscope

Who invented the compound / light microscope?


Inventor: Zacharias Janssen (1590)

How does the light/ compound microscope work?

A compound microscope uses lenses and light to magnify images and is also called an
optical or light microscope. A simple example is a magnifying glass, which magnifies up
to 10x. The compound microscope has two main lenses:

1. The ocular lens (eyepiece) that you look through.

2. The objective lens near the object.

It's important to understand the parts of a microscope before using or buying one.
Microscope Parts
Eyepiece Lens: Magnifies 10x or 15x.

Tube: Connects eyepiece and objective lenses.

Arm: Holds the tube, connects to the base.

Base: Supports the microscope.

Illuminator: Provides light; some use mirrors instead.

Stage: Platform for slides; has clips to hold slides.

Nosepiece: Rotates to change magnification.

Objective Lenses: Provide different magnifications (e.g., 4x, 10x, 40x, 100x).

Rack Stop: Prevents damage by limiting how close the lens gets to the slide.

Condenser Lens: Focuses light; important for high magnifications.

Diaphragm/Iris: Adjusts light intensity.

How to Focus

 Start with the lowest power lens.

 Lower the lens close to the slide (from the side view).

 Look through the eyepiece and focus upward until clear.

 Switch to higher power lenses and adjust with the fine focus knob as needed.

Terms to learn:

 Magnification: How much bigger a microscope makes something look


compared to its actual size.
 Resolution: How clear the image is and how well you can see tiny details or tell
two close things apart.
How to Calculate Magnification of a Microscope?
 Multiply the power of the eyepiece lens by the power of the objective
lens.

Formula:
Magnification = Eyepiece power × Objective power

Example:
If the eyepiece lens is 10x and the objective lens is 40x:
Magnification = 10 × 40 = 400x

How to Calculate Magnification of a Drawing?

 Divide the size of the drawing by the actual size of the object.

Formula:
Magnification = Size of drawing ÷ Actual size of object

Example:
If a drawing is 10 cm and the actual object is 2 cm:
Magnification = 10 ÷ 2 = 5x

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