AS- BIOLOGY

MICROSCOPY
MAGNIFICATION AND RESOLUTION
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• To define magnification
• Calculate the linear magnifications of drawings
• explain and distinguish between resolution and magnification,
• calculate actual sizes of specimens from drawings, photomicrographs and electron
micrographs
WHAT IS MAGNIFICATION
 MAGNIFICATION

• Magnification is a measure of how many times

bigger the image is than the object. The
magnification of a specimen is calculated using
the size of the image and the actual size of the
object
• When you are calculating magnification, make
sure that all lengths are in the same units.
• 1 micrometre (um)=0.001mm
• 1 nanometre (nm)=0.000001mm
CALCULATING MAGNIFICATION OF IMAGE
OR PHOTOGRAPH
• Measure the length of the cell(image) in mm
• Convert mm to um . Note 1mm=1000um
• Use the formula equation to calculate the
magnification
Calculating linear magnification of drawing
question
question
CALCULATING MAGNIFICATION USING SCALE
BAR
• measure the length of the scale bar in mm
• convert mm to um
• use the formula equation to calculate.
MEASURING CELLS
Measuring using eye piece graticle
• Place a stage um on the • Calculate the distance in
stage of the microscope um of one division on
• Count the number of the eye piece graticule
divisions on the
eyepiece graticule that
correspond with a set of
measurement on the
stage micrometre.
The Distance Of 250 Μm On The Stage Micrometer Lines Up
Against Two Divisions At 10 And 61 On The Eyepiece Grateful.

61 − 10 = 51 Divisions On The Eyepiece Graticule Are Equivalent To

250 Μm On The Stage Micrometer
.
One Division On The Eyepiece Graticule Is Equivalent
To Μ25051μm On The Stage Micrometer: = 4.9 Μm (To
Two Significant Figures).

Therefore One Division Is Equal To 4.9 Μm.

Using The Same Calibrated Eyepiece Graticule To Measure A Cell:

The Width Of The Cell Highlighted = 52 – 40 = 12 Eyepiece Graticule
Divisions.
The Real Width Of The Cell Is 12 × 4.9 Μm = 59 Μm (To Two
Significant Figures).
 Resolution vs. magnification
• Resolution is a measure
of the ability to
distinguish between
two objects that are
very close together.
• This is useful for looking
at objects in detail.
 MAGNIFICATION
• Magnification is the size • In short magnification is
of an object’s image in how many times larger
relation to the size of an image appears
the original object.
• Magnification can be
increased almost
indefinitely, but the
useful magnification is
limited by its resolution.
Magnification and resolution
Microscope type resolution magnification
Light microscope 200 nm *1500

TEM microscope 0.2 nm Can be more than*1000000

SEM microscope 1 nm Less than *500000