About Compound Microscopes

Microscope is made up of two words; micro and scope. Micro means small and scope means view. Thus the microscope is the device that helps us to view the small objects which we cannot see with our naked eyes. Compound means that the system has more than one lens. A compound microscope has an eyepiece and an objective lens.

Compound microscope is used widely at schools, clinics and in the research institutions. It is used by the researchers, metallurgists and biologists to examine different components, samples and objects of their interest.

How it works?
The objective lens magnifies the image of the object. This image is further enlarged by the eyepiece. You look through the eyepiece which acts as the magnifier. It magnifies the image formed by the objective lens.

If your microscope has an eyepiece of 10X magnification and an objective of 40X magnification then the magnification factor of your compound microscope is 400. This means that your microscope forms the image that is 400 times the size of the object that you see with your naked eye. There are Compound light microscope which magnify the object 2000 times.

How to use the compound microscope?
Place the microscope on the table about three inches away from the edge of the table. Ensure that the arm of the microscope is towards you. Now turn the nosepiece so that the low power objective lens is in place. A click sound will ensure that the objective is now in proper alignment with the eyepiece. Turn the coarse adjustment knob to adjust the body tube.

Compound microscopes generally come with a diaphragm. Adjust the diaphragm and then place the object on the stand. Look through the eyepiece and adjust the mirror at the bottom. Bright white circle ensures that the microscope is now ready to view the object. Place the object that you want to view on the slide and mount the slide on the stage of the microscope.

Look at the stage from the eyepiece and try to focus on the object. You can increase the illumination by simply adjusting the mirror for more light. See that you do not lower the objective lens too close to the slide.

The compound microscopes are available as monocular and binocular microscopes. The monocular compound microscope has one eye piece while the binocular has two eye pieces.

Binocular microscopes are more comfortable to work with as in binocular microscopes you use both your eyes while in monocular you use one of your eye to see the magnified image. Try to use the monocular microscope with both of your eyes open. This is how all the researchers use it.