Purpose: to Examine a Variety of Objects Using a Compound Light Microscope

Name: ______Period: ______Date: ______

The “e” Lab

Purpose: To examine a variety of objects using a compound light microscope.

Materials:

Scissors / Pipette / Newspaper
Water / Slide / Cover Slip

Procedure #1: Setting up your “e”

1. CUT a lower-case “e” from the newspaper.

2. Place the “e” on the glass slide.

3. Add a SMALL drop of water.

4. Apply a cover slip on top of the wet “e.”

Procedure #2: Using the Microscope

1. Check to be sure the low power objective is in place.

2. Place the slide on the stage with the “e” RIGHT SIDE UP.

3. Look at the slide while using the coarse adjustment.

4. Look into the eyepiece and use the fine focus knob to focus.

5. Draw EXACTLY what you see through the eyepiece in the circle LOW Power then record what you see under HIGH Power. Record you observations in the table.

Low Power High Power

When you push the slide forward the “e” moves in which direction? / When you push the slide to the left, the “e” moves in which direction? / When you push the slide to the right, the “e” moves in which direction? / When you rotate to high power do you see more or less of the “e”? / What is the magnification of the microscope at high power?

Procedure #3: Observing a Color Photo

1. Prepare your slide with a piece of color newspaper. Use steps 3 & 4 from procedure #1.

2. Check to be sure the lower poser objective is in place.

3. Look at the slide while using the coarse adjustment.

4. Look into the eyepiece and use fine focus knob to focus.

5. Make one drawing of the photo on LOW power. Draw EXACTLY what you see!

6. Make one drawing of the photo at MEDIUM power. Draw EXACTLY what you see!

Conclusion Questions:

1. State 2 procedures which should be used to properly handle a light microscope.

2. Images observed under the light microscope are reversed and inverted. Explain what this means. (Hint: think of the “e”)

3. Explain why the specimen must be centered in the field of view on low power before going to high power.

4. In three steps using complete sentences, describe how to make a proper wet mount of the letter e.

5. Describe the changes in the field of view when going from low to high power using the compound microscope.

6. Describe what you observed of the colored newspaper photo with your “naked” eye, on low power, and medium power.

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