NAME: CHAN, Derek Hayne

ELABORATE: Use and Manipulation of the Microscope Total No. of Points: 18

1. What is the proper way to carry a microscope? (2 points)

Always carry a microscope with both hands. Grasp the arm with one hand and
place the other hand under the base for support.
2. What is the typical magnification of an ocular lens? What other magnifications are possible? (2
points)

Usually you will find 3 or 4 objective lenses on a microscope. They almost always
consist of 4x, 10x, 40x and 100x powers. When coupled with a 10x which is the
most common eyepiece lens, total magnification is 40x (4x times 10x), 100x , 400x
and 1000x. There are several other objective lens magnifications available
with utility for particular applications. The 2x objective, widely used in
pathology, has only ½ the magnification of a 4x scanning lens, thus providing
a better overview of the sample on the slide. The 50x oil immersion objective,
often used in place of the 40x objective, is used as a gold standard for
observing blood smears. The 60x objective, often available in either dry or
oil immersion, provides 50% greater magnification than a 40x lens. The 60x
dry is sometimes chosen over a 100x oil immersion lens for higher
magnification without the need to use immersion oil. Finally the 100x dry
objective doesn’t need immersion oil to deliver high magnification (still 1000x
when combined with 10x eyepieces). However, the numerical aperture (an
indication of resolving power of an objective) of a 100x dry objective is much
lower than that of a 100x oil immersion objective and, as a result, the ability
of the lens to resolve fine details in the specimen is much lower, too .
3. What are the magnification abilities of each of the objective lenses? What is the total
magnification with each objective? (3 points)

a) Scanning ( small lens ), red ring = 4x

A scanning objective lens provides the lowest magnification power of all

objective lenses. 4x is a common magnification for scanning objec tives and,
when combined with the magnification power of a 10x eyepiece lens, a 4x
scanning objective lens gives a total magnification of 40x. The name
“scanning” objective lens comes from the fact that they provide observers
with about enough magnification for a good overview of the slide, essentially
a “scan” of the slide.
b) Low-power ( medium lens ), yellow ring = 10x
 The low power objective lens has more magnification power than the
scanning objective lens, and it is one of the most helpful lenses when it
comes to observing and analyzing glass slide samples. The total
magnification of a low power objective lens combined with a 10x eyepiece
lens is 100x magnification, giving you a closer view of the slide than a
scanning objective lens without getting too close for general viewing
purposes
c) High-power ( large lens ), blue ring = 40x

The high-powered objective lens (also called “high dry” lens) is ideal for
observing fine details within a specimen sample. The total magnification of
a high-power objective lens combined with a 10x eyepiece is equal to 400x
magnification, giving you a very detailed picture of the specimen in your
slide.
d) Oil immersion ( largest lens ), white ring = 100x

The oil immersion objective lens provides the most powerful magnification,
with a whopping magnification total of 1000x when combined with a 10x
eyepiece. But the refractive index of air and your glass slide are slightly
different.
e) Why do you use immersion oil with 100X objective lens? (2 points)

A special immersion oil must be used to help bridge the gap. Without adding
a drop of immersion oil, the oil immersion objective lens will not function
correctly, the specimen will appear blurry, and you will not achieve an ideal
magnification or resolution. Oil immersion lenses are also available from
some manufacturers in lower magnifications, and provide higher resolution
than their "high dry" counterparts.
4. What is the total magnification of a sample with an ocular lens power of 15X and using a 40X
objective lens? (1 point)

15X and 40X indicating that the object is enlarged 15 times and 40 times. Formula
is X = lens power X objective lens power.
5. What is an iris diaphragm? What does it do? (2 points)

It is an adjustable diaphragm of thin opaque plates that can be turned by a ring so

as to change the diameter of a central opening usually to regulate the aperture of
a lens. It controls the amount of light reaching the specimen. It is located above
the condenser and below the stage. Most high quality microscopes include an
Abbe condenser with an iris diaphragm. Combined, they control both the focus
and quantity of light applied to the specimen.
6. What did you notice about the letter e when you increased in magnification from the 4x to the
10x and then to the 40X: (2 points)
 Compare the orientation of the letter "e" as viewed through the microscope with
the letter "e" viewed with the naked eye on the slide. This demonstrates that in
addition to being magnified the image is inverted.
a) Did the size (magnification) increase or decrease?

The size increase.

b) Could you see more of the entire letter or less?

----

8 . Sketch the letter “e” at each of the resolutions. (4 points )