NAME: _____________________________________ SCORE:

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Class #: Year/Section: Group: Date:

EXPERIMENT 1: THE COMPOUND MICROSCOPE

OBJECTIVES MATERIALS
 Observe and describe objects seen under the microscope a piece of newspaper
microscope. glass slide water
coverslip dropper
scissors

INVESTIGATE
1. Use a pair of scissors to cut a small letter “e” from the newspaper. Cut the smallest letter
“e” you can find. Position the letter “e” on the center of a clean glass slide.
2. Use a dropper, place a drop of water on the “e”.
3. Hold a clean coverslip in a vertical position (90-degree angle) next to the water. Make sure
the bottom edge of the coverslip is in the drop of water on one side. Lower the coverslip by
“rolling” it down to avoid trapping air bubbles between the coverslip and slide.
4. Make sure the bottom of the slide is dry before you place it on the stage of your microscope.
5. Center the wet mount of the letter “e” on the stage with the “e” in its normal upright
position. Bring the letter into focus under the low-power objective lens.
6. Look at the microscope with your head to the side. Locate the coarse adjustment knob
which moves the draw tube up and down. Practice moving the coarse adjustment knob,
seeing how it moves the draw tube with each turn of the knob. Using the coarse adjustment,
move the draw tube up as far as it will go. This is the starting position when you first begin
to bring an object into focus.
7. Look into the eyepiece. Slowly, move the draw tube down by using the coarse adjustment
knob until it comes into focus. Never allow the slide to come in contact with the objective
lens.
8. Draw the letter “e” as seen through the microscope on the activity sheet (letter A). Be sure
to record the magnification.
9. While looking at the microscope, move the slide to the left. Notice the direction the letter
“e” moves. Now, move the slide to the right. Again, notice the direction that the letter “e”
moved. Do the same moving the slide away and toward you.
10. Looking at the side, rotate the high-power objective lens into position. Bring it into focus
using the fine adjustment knob only (if you lose the object, start again from step 6). Draw
the letter “e” as it appears in the microscope on your activity sheet (letter B) and record
the magnification.
11. Remove the slide and wipe away the letter “e” using clean cloth.
 DATA
Draw the “e” as seen under the low-power and high-power objective lenses.

A. LOW-POWER OBJECTIVE B. HIGH-POWER OBJECTIVE

Magnification _________________ Magnification _________________

ANALYZE AND CONCLUDE

1. How did the position of the letter “e” on your slide compare with the image under the
microscope?
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2. What happened to the image of the letter “e” when you switched from low-power to high-
power lens?
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 GENERALIZATION
Why must you be careful when you are focusing the high-power objectives? What precautions should
you take?

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