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Name: ___________________________
Parts of a Microscope
Before the microscope was invented, people thought there was nothing smaller
than the smallest things that could be viewed with the human eye. Then early
microscope designers like Robert Hooke changed all that. Robert Hooke made a
microscope out of two lenses placed at opposite ends of a long tube. The tube was
attached to a stand, and an oil lamp provided light. Hooke also added a mirror to focus
the light onto the object being examined. He used his microscope to magnify visible
things like fleas.
1. Who made the first compound microscope?
2. Describe Hooke’s microscope.
Today, most microscopes are called compound light microscopes, and use two
lenses for greater magnification. The upper lens is called the ocular lens or eyepiece,
and the lower lens (or lenses, as there may be a choice of sizes) is called the objective
lens.
Label and Color the ocular lens light blue
. Most eyepiece lenses are 10X
magnification. The magnification of each objective lens will be marked on the side of
the objective. To determine the total magnification, multiply the eyepiece power (10X)
times the magnification of the objective you are using.
3. Why are today’s microscopes called compound scopes?
4. What is the upper lens called? What is its magnification?
5. How is TOTAL magnification determined?
