Microscope Activity

Introduction
In this activity, you will use a compound light microscope to view, sketch, and estimate the size
of a specimen.

Procedure Part 1: View & Sketch a Specimen

1. Set up your microscope and choose a specimen to view. Save this specimen for tomorrow!

2. Bring your specimen into focus under low, medium, and high power. Take photos of your
specimen under each level of magnification and complete the following table outlining
any differences you observe:

Low (10X) Medium (40X) High (100X)

3. Using the “guidelines for scientific drawings”, sketch a diagram of your specimen under
medium power (40X) in the space below. Try your best to label & annotate any organelles
you see. (you can omit the scale of your drawing for now)

- SCIENCE 10H -
Procedure Part 2: Estimate Actual Size & Calculate Scale of Drawing
1. Set up your microscope and retrieve the specimen you observed yesterday. Bring your
specimen into focus under low power (10X objective lens)

2. Place a transparent ruler over top of your specimen. While under low power…

a. Calculate the total magnification (recall that the ocular lens also provides a
magnification of 10X)

b. Use the ruler to measure the field of view (diameter) in mm.

c. Convert your measurement from part “b” into um (recall that 1mm = 1000 um).

Power Total Magnification Field Diameter (mm) Field Diameter (um)

Low

3. Rotate to the medium-power objective lens. Notice that the ruler is no longer in view, so
in order to calculate the field diameter at this magnification, you must use the following
formula:

High/medium-power field Low-power magnification

diameter High/medium power

a. Calculate the total magnification on medium power (recall that the ocular lens
also provides a magnification of 10X)

b. Use the ruler to measure the field of view (diameter) in mm.

c. Convert your measurement from part “b” into um (recall that 1mm = 1000 um).

Power Total Magnification Field Diameter (mm) Field Diameter (um)

Medium

4. Estimate the fit number of your specimen at medium magnification (i.e. the number of
times your specimen would fit across the field diameter) : ________________________

5. Calculate the size of your specimen using the following formula. Show your work below.

- SCIENCE 10H -
 Size of Field diameter
specimen = (um)

6. Calculate the scale of your drawing by comparing the diameter of the circle you drew to
the field diameter under medium power. Show your work below.

- SCIENCE 10H -