Experiment worksheet

Experiment #1
Pages 10–11

Getting to know your microscope

Aim
To prepare microscope slides and observe them with a compound light microscope.
Materials
• Small piece of newspaper
• Small piece of tissue papers
• Scissors
• Compound light microscope
• Cover slips
• Slides
• Eyedropper
• Small beaker of water
• Hair (use your own)
• 1 cm sticky tape (transparent)
Method
1 Cut out a word containing the letter ‘e’ from the newspaper.

2 Place the ‘specimen’ on the microscope slide and add two drops of water to help it ‘stick’ to the slide.
Place a cover slip on top. This is called a wet mount.

 Oxford University Press 2016

Amazing Science 8 Teacher obook/assess ISBN 9780190301361
Permission has been granted for this page to be photocopied within the purchasing institution only.
3 On the lowest magnification (×10), focus on the letter ‘e’.

4 Move the slide slightly towards your body and observe what happens.

5 Move the slide slightly to the left and observe what happens.

6 Increase the magnification and observe what happens.

7 Draw a diagram of what you see.

8 Take the ‘specimen’ out and prepare another slide using the tissue paper. Make sure a drop of water is
added and a cover slip is placed over the top carefully.

9 Draw what you see.

10 Repeat steps 2–7 with sticky tape and then a hair from your head.
RESULTS
Present your diagrams.

 Oxford University Press 2016

Amazing Science 8 Teacher obook/assess ISBN 9780190301361
Permission has been granted for this page to be photocopied within the purchasing institution only.
DISCUSSION
1 Describe what the letter ‘e’ looked like through the microscope.

2 What did you observe when you moved the slide in various directions? Was it what you expected?

3 Is the newspaper smooth when you look at it with the naked eye? Compare this to what the newspaper
looked like through the microscope.

4 What features could you see on the tissue paper and sticky tape that you could not see with the naked
eye?

CONCLUSION
What is the purpose of a light microscope and how does it work? Write a sentence that answers the aim
under the heading of Conclusion.

 Oxford University Press 2016

Amazing Science 8 Teacher obook/assess ISBN 9780190301361
Permission has been granted for this page to be photocopied within the purchasing institution only.