Using a Compound Light Microscope

A microscope is a very powerful tool that allows you to see things that are too small to be seen with the naked eye. There are many different types of microscopes, but in this tutorial we will be focusing on how to use a compound light microscope. This type of microscope uses light and lenses to magnify objects.

Compound light microscopes can be used to view both living and non-living things. To start, you will need to gather your supplies. You will need a microscope, slides, coverslips, staining reagents (if needed), and specimens (either living or non-living). Once you have gathered all of your supplies, you are ready to begin!

Preparing Your Slide

1. Place the slide on the stage of the microscope. The stage is the flat platform where the slide is placed. Make sure that the specimen is in the center of the slide and that it is not touching any of the edges.

2. Place a drop of water on the specimen if it is dry. This will help to keep the specimen from drying out and will also help to prevent it from moving around on the slide.

3. Place a coverslip over the specimen. A coverslip is a thin piece of glass that helps to protect the specimen and keep it in place. Gently press down on the coverslip so that it makes contact with all sides of the specimen.

Focusing and Viewing Your Specimen

1. Adjust the focus knob until you can see a clear image of your specimen. The focus knob controls how close or far away the lenses are from one another, which affects how clearly you can see your specimens. Start with low power (40X), and then slowly increase to high power (100X). Once you have found your desired power, you can begin observing your specimens!

Staining Living Cells

1. To stain living cells, add a small drop of staining solution onto your slide before adding a coverslip. This will help you to see more detail within your cells by adding coloration. Once you have added your stain, allow it to sit for 1-2 minutes before proceeding to step 4 above.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to use a compound light microscope, go explore all of the amazing things that are too small for us to see with our naked eyes!