NAME:____________________________ DATE: _____________

Using the Microscope: Lab Activity

I. Preparing a wet mount of the letter e

A. With your scissors cut out the letter "e" from the newspaper.
B. Place one or two drops of
water in the center of
the slide.
C. Place the letter e in the
drop of water
D. Place a coverslip on top as
shown in diagram C and
D. This procedure
prevents the formation
of air bubbles.

IV. Observing the letter e

A. Turn on the microscope and place the slide on the stage. Use the clips to secure it.
B. Using the low power objective, turn the coarse focus until the letter e can be seen.
C. Use the fine focus to focus clearly.
D. Draw what you see.

How is the letter e positioned?

___________________________________________

____________________________________________

E. Looking through the eye piece, move the slide to the right.
What direction does the letter move? ___________________________________

F. Looking through the eye piece, move the slide up, away from you.
What direction does the letter move? ___________________________________

G. Re-center the slide and change the objective to medium power. DO NOT TOUCH THE
COARSE FOCUS. Use the FINE FOCUS to focus.
NAME:____________________________ DATE: _____________

H. Draw what you see.

I. Do you see more or less of the letter e under medium
power?
____________________________________________

____________________________________________

Locate the diaphragm under the stage. Move it around.

What do you notice?
____________________________________________

____________________________________________

V. Depth of Field: Thread wet mount

A. Prepare a wet mount of a red and white thread. Make sure that the 2
threads cross each other as shown here.

B. Locate the threads under low power.

Can you see all the strands clearly at the same time? ____________________________

C. Change to medium power and observe the threads at the point where they cross.
D. Draw what you see.

Can you see all the strands clearly, at the same time?
______________________________________

Which color thread is in focus?

______________________________________

E. Change to high power and observe the strands at the point where they cross.
Can you see all the strands clearly at the same time? ___________________________
Which color thread is in focus? ____________________________________________