Introduction to the Microscope

What is it?CarePartsFocusing

• Compound microscope uses compound lenses and light to magnify objects

• The lenses bend or refract the light, which makes the object beneath them appear closer

• Hans and Zacharias Janssen are credited with creating the first microscopes

• Robert Hooke and Anton van Leeuwenhoek were pioneers in early microscope development

• Always carry with 2 hands (one hand on the arm, one on the base)

• Only use lens paper for cleaning

• Do not force knobs

• Keep cords away from sinks due risk of electrical shock

Eyepiece

Body Tube

Revolving NosepieceArm

Objective Lens

StageStage Clips

Coarse Focus

Fine Focus

Base

Diaphragm

Light

• Place the Slide on the Microscope• Use Stage Clips• Click Nosepiece to the lowest

(scanning) objective• Look into the Eyepiece and adjust

the slide until object is centered• Use the Coarse Adjustment Knob

to bring into focus• When observations are completed

(at this magnification,) proceed to adjust to Low Power.

• When High Power is needed, make sure the object is centered and focused at scanning and low power

• Click the nosepiece to the high power objective (largest) lens

• Do NOT use the Coarse Focusing Knob• Use the Fine Focus Knob to bring the slide into

focus• Never remove a slide while under high power

• Your microscope has 3 magnifications: Scanning, Low and High objective lens

• Each objective lens will have written the magnification. In addition to this, the ocular lens (eyepiece) has a magnification

• The total magnification is the eyepiece times the objective lens

• Q: Image is too dark! • A: Adjust the diaphragm, make sure your light is on• Q: There's a spot in my viewing field, even when I move the slide

the spot stays in the same place! • A: Your lens is dirty. Use lens paper, and only lens paper to

carefully clean the objective and ocular lens • Q: I can't see anything under high power! • A: Remember the steps, if you can't focus under scanning and then

low power, you won't be able to focus anything under high power • Q: Only half of my viewing field is lit, it looks like there's a half-

moon in there! • A: You probably don't have your objective fully clicked into place