the light microscope

1. Body Tube
Nose Piece
Objective
Lenses
Stage
Clips
Diaphragm
Light Source
Ocular Lens
Arm
Stage
Coarse Adj.
Fine Adjustment
Base
Skip to Magnification Section

3. Eyepiece / Ocular Lens
• Magnifies the specimen image
• It is where you look through to view the
object placed on the stage.

4. Body Tube
• It supports the eyepiece and lenses.
• It also maintains the proper distance
between the eyepiece and the objective
lenses.

5. Nose Piece
• It holds the objective lenses and
can be turned to increase the
magnification.

6. Objective Lenses
• It is used to magnify the images of the
specimen to form an enlarged image.

7. Stage Clips
• These 2 clips hold the slide/specimen in
place on the stage.

8. Diaphragm
• It controls the amount of light on the
slide/specimen
Turn to let more light
in or to make dimmer.

9. Mirror
• It reflects light to the lens of
the microscope.

10. Arm
• It is the frame to which the base, body
and stage are attached.

11. Stage
• Supports the slide/specimen

12. Coarse Adjustment Knob
• Moves the stage up and down
LARGER focusing of the image.

13. • This knob moves the stage slightly to
sharpen the image for PRECISION
focusing.
Fine Adjustment Knob

14. Base
• Supports the microscope and is also
used for carrying the microscope.

15. Magnification
• To determine your magnification…you
just multiply the ocular lens by the
objective lens
• Ocular 10x Objective 40x:10 x 40 =
400
Objective Lens have
their magnification
written on them.
Ocular lenses usually
magnifies by 10x
So the object is 400 times
“larger”

16. Caring for a Microscope
• Clean only with a soft
cloth/tissue
• Make sure it’s on a flat surface
• Carry it with 2 HANDS…one on
the arm and the other on the
base

17. Using a Microscope
• Start on the lowest magnification
• Don’t use the coarse adjustment
knob on high magnification … you’ll
break the slide.
• Place slide on stage and lock clips
• Adjust light source/ mirror.
• Use fine adjustment to focus