Microscope Introduction

Cleaning the Microscope Procedure

Drop the stage all the way down. Take some lens paper moistened with lens cleaner and apply even pressure to the ocular lenses with the lens paper, moving in a circular motion. Next take the lens paper and wipe it across the stage. Obtain a fresh piece of lens paper. Fold the paper so that it is easy to handle and add a little bit of lens cleaner. Starting with the lowest powered objective lens, apply even pressure and move the paper in a circular motion and clean each successive lens. If the lens paper becomes dry, add a little more cleaner. It needs to be moist. Lastly, wipe down the light source with the lens paper to remove any dust and then discard the lens paper into the trash.

Carrying and Setting Up the Microscope Procedure

Grab the microscope with one hand on the bar or neck (whichever one is present) and put the other hand under the microscope. Set the microscope on the bench and remove the cover. Check and see if the lowest magnification is facing the stage, the cord is wrapped neatly, and that the microscope is clean. If the eye piece needs to be turned, loosen the set bolt (only a little bit) while keeping your hand on the head of the microscope, and then turn it and retighten the set bolt. Do not ever let go of the head if the set bolt is loose. It will fall off! Once the microscope is set up and adjusted, ensure that the on/off switch is turned off, and then plug it in. Turn on the microscope, ensure that the light is working properly, and adjust its brightness using the knob by the on/off switch to what is needed.

Materials

Materials: Lysol cleaning solution Paper towels Rubber Gloves Microscope Lens Cleaning Paper Lens Cleaning Solution Letter E Slide Color Thread Slide

Methods

Methods: Sterilize the workbench with the Lysol cleaning solution. Wash hands and obtain a pair of gloves. Collect all necessary materials. Arrange all the materials needed for the experiment to allow easy and safe accessibility.

Storing the Microscope Procedure

Remove the slide and ensure that it is clean. Turn off the microscope. Turn the head of the microscope to the opposite side from the stage, and ensure that the set bolt is tight. Ensure that the slide bar is even with the stage. Ensure that the microscope is clean. Ensure that the low magnification lens is pointed towards the stage. Lower the stage as far as it will go. Unplug the microscope, and wrap up the cord neatly. Replace the microscope cover, and return it to the appropriate compartment.

Slide Procedure

Slide Procedure Obtain a letter e slide and a color thread slide. Handle the letter e slide by the edges and ensure that it is clean. Pull back the lever on the slide holder, and insert the letter e slide ensuring that it is flush with both sides of the slide bar. Adjust the slide bar until the light is shining through the letter e. Using the 4X objective lens and the course focus, bring the e into clarity and answer the questions in the post-lab. Move to the 10X objective lens, and use the fine focus and the height of the stage to bring the e back into clarity. Repeat step 23 with the 40X objective lense. Repeat this whole process with the color thread slide, but only going up to the 40X magnification. Clean the microscope.

Was the orientation of the letter "e" the same when observed with the naked eyes and the microscope? What is the reason to justified your response?

The answer should be (No). The reason is when the slide is viewed with the microscope, the objective lens flips and magnifies the image to create a "real image" that is magnified again by the ocular lens creating a "virtual image." OR The image formed by the objective lens is inverted because the rays that are projected through the light cross over, causing the image to appear upside down. Because the ocular lens is a simple magnifying lens, it does not correct the flipped image, and thus the specimen appears inverted when the image reaches the eye. The reason is when the slide is viewed with the microscope, the objective lens flips and magnifies the image to create a "real image" that is magnified again by the ocular lens creating a "virtual image."

Goal:

To successfully learn how to set up, clean, and utilize a light microscope.

Provide a detailed comparison between zero magnification (naked eye) and at 40x total magnification for the letter 'e' slide. Compare the orientation of the letter 'e' and the direction of movement with the stage controls in your description.

When the letter e slide is viewed with the naked eye, it is inverted where the slide is right side up, and looks as if it was printed; very neat with no rough edges. When the 40x total magnification is used, the e is inverted to right side up, and has many rough edges and a few imperfections (spots that the ink is lighter in some places). When I moved the stage to the right, the e would move toward the left. And when I would move the stage toward me, the image of the e would move away from me.