Name ______
Microscope Challenge: Make a Wet Mount Slide
Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to learn how to make a wet mount slide.
Hypothesis:
What will the letter look like when viewed through the microscope?
Materials:
newspaper scissors slide cover slip water eyedropper microscope
Procedure:
1. Cut a small letter (a or e) out of a newspaper. Place the letter in the middle of a slide.
2. Put one drop of water on the letter. (Be sure not to touch the letter with the medicine dropper).
3. Hold the edges of a cover slip between your thumb and forefinger. Hold the cover slip at a 45-degree angle with one edge resting on the slide. Let the cover slip touch the water and then fall gently over the water drop. If there are air bubbles, gently tap the surface of the cover slip with the eraser of your pencil.
4. Place the slide on the stage. Center the letter over the opening. Use the clips to hold the slide in place.
5. Focus the lens.
6. Move the slide slowly to the right while looking through the microscope. Then move the slide to the left. Then move the slide away from you. Then move the slide towards you.
Observations:
1. What happened to the drop of water when the cover slip was allowed to fall on top of the drop of water?
2. Draw what the letter looked like on the slide.
3. Draw what the letter looked like through the microscope.
4. What happened to the image of the letter when you moved the slide to the right?
5. What happened to the image of the letter when you moved the slide to the left?
6. What happened to the image of the letter when you moved the slide away from you?
7. What happened to the image of the letter when you moved the slide towards you?
Conclusions:
1. The objective lens sometimes has to be very close to the slide. Why do you think it is a good idea to cover the drop of water with a cover slip?
2. What did you notice about what happens to images in the microscope when you move the slide around? Why is this important to know?