Introduction to the Microscope Care Parts Focusing
Always carry with 2 hands Keep away from the edge of the table Only use lens paper for cleaning Only use coarse adjustment on low power Always wrap cord around microscope when finished and store covered
Eyepiece/ocular lens Body Tube Revolving Nosepiece Arm Objective Lens Stage Stage Clips Coarse Adjustment Fine Adjustment Base Diaphragm Light
Parts of the Microscope Eyepiece (ocular lens) – Usually contains a 10x lens Arm- Connects the base of the microscope to the nosepiece and ocular lens Nosepiece- A rotating head that has the objective lenses attached to it. Objective- housing for a lens. There are 3 objective lenses in a compound microscope.(4x, 10x, 40x) Stage- the specimen slide rests on this part of the microscope. Coarse Adjustment Knob- the larger of the knobs. Used to focus images by moving the lenses up and down.(40x) Fine adjustment Knob- Used to make small adjustments in focusing. (4x)
Parts of the Microscope Continued Light Source- provides the light necessary to view the slide. Condenser- Focuses the light onto the specimen. Base- The bottom of the microscope used for support. Diaphragm- rotating wheel on the underside of the stage that allows the user to adjust the amount of light that passes through a specimen.
Place the Slide on the Microscope Use Stage Clips to secure the slide in place Click Nosepiece to the lowest (shortest) setting Look into the Eyepiece (Ocular lens) Use the Coarse Focus to bring the image into view Use the fine adjustment knob to sharpen the image Centre the specimen Swing the medium-power objective lens into place. Focus using ONLY the fine adjustment knob.
Follow the steps used to focus a specimen using low power. Click the nosepiece to the longest objective (40x). Do NOT use the Coarse Focusing Knob (this may break the glass slide). Use the Fine Focus Knob to bring the slide into focus.
Storage Store the microscope on low power Wrap the power cord around the base of the microscope Place the plastic cover over the microscope and put back on cart.