Mrs. Hughes
Lab #1-0
Intro to Compound Light Microscope
Date: _______
Name: __________________
Partner: _________________
Block: _________
PURPOSE: To practice using a Compound Light Microscope.
EQUIPMENT: Microscope, slide, cover slip, lens paper, medicine dropper, water,
tweezers, scissors, small letter e, green magazine image, petri dish
SAFETY: NEVER use the COARSE focus knob on the MEDIUM or HIGH power
objective lens!!! Be careful using sharp objects.
PROCEDURES: see Lab Sheet
OBSERVATIONS:
PART A: VIEWING A SMALL LETTER (e)
3. Low Power view
Slide Moves
4. Left
5. Right
6. Up
7. Down
8. Medium Power
 Field of View Moves
 _________________
 _________________
 _________________
 _________________
9. High Power View
PART B: VIEWING THE COLOUR GREEN
2. Low Power
3. Medium Power
4. High Power
PART C: DEPTH OF FIELD
When looking through the microscope focus on one of the strings, then describe if the
other strings are clearly in focus, slightly out of focus, or extremely out of focus.
3. Focusing on the TOP string
Middle String = __________________________________________________
Bottom String = __________________________________________________
4. Focusing on the MIDDLE string
Top String = ____________________________________________________
Bottom String = __________________________________________________
5. Focusing on the BOTTOM string
Top String = ____________________________________________________
Middle String = __________________________________________________
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Answer on a separate piece of paper
1. Why should the coarse focus knob not be used with the medium power and high
power objective lenses?
2. What happens to the field of view as you move from low to high power
magnification?
3. Which magnification would be best for scanning several objects?
4. What happens to the image as you move the slide:
a) Right
b) Left
c) Up
d) Down
5. What happens to an object when viewed through the two lenses of the compound
light microscope?
(Hint: p.13 fig. 1.8: The image is _________, _________ and __________.)
CONCLUSION:
Write a summary of what you have learned in this lab. Include the safety precautions in
using a compound light microscope, what happens the field of view when switching
magnification powers, What is the difference between reality and field of view.