Name_____________________________________________ Grade /20

Living Environment Redo Grade /20

Lab # _________

TITLE- Measuring with the Microscope

OBJECTIVE- the purpose of this lab is to determine the field of view of the compound microscope on
40x and 110x. You will then learn to estimate the size of a drosophila head and the size of individual
cork cells using your established fields of view as a reference.

MATERIALS- Compound Microscope, slides, coverslips, lens paper, prepared slides

PROCEDURE
Part 1- Determining Field of View
1. Using the transparent mm ruler provided, measure the field of view for the compound
microscope at 40 x and 100 x.
2. Place the ruler under the microscope on low power as shown in the diagram below.












3. Sketch the ruler as it appear on low power. Fill in the appropriate answers and show your
calculation in converting millimeters (mm) to micrometers (um). * 1mm= 1000um.


Low Power- 40 x

Ocular Magnification= ______________
Objective Magnification= ___________
Total Magnification = _______________
Field Size (mm)= ___________________
Field Size (um)= ___________________






4. Repeat step 3 for high power.


High Power- 100 x

Ocular Magnification= ______________
Objective Magnification= ___________
Total Magnification = _______________
Field Size (mm)= ___________________
Field Size (um)= ___________________



Part 2- Estimating Cell Size Using a Known Field of View
1. Obtain a prepared cork slide.
2. Set the microscope to low power and view the cork slide. Draw what you observe in the space
below.












3. How many cork cells fit across the field of view? ______________________________

4. What was the diameter of the field of view in mm for low power?__________________________
5. Divide the mm/ # of cells. This is the length of 1 cell. Show your work below.




6. Convert mm into micrometers. Show work below.








7. Set the microscope to high power and view the cork slide. Draw what you observe in the
space below.












8. How many cork cells fit across the field of view? ______________________________

9. What was the diameter of the field of view in mm for high power?__________________________
10. Divide the mm/ # of cells. This is the length of 1 cell. Show your work below.




11. Convert mm into micrometers. Show work below.






Recap! Size of cork cells in mm on Low power= _____________________________
Size of cork cells in mm on high power= ____________________________

Are your 2 measurements the same? Explain why they should be the same number.

















1. Obtain a prepared drosophila slide.
2. Set the microscope to low power and view the drosophila slide. Draw what you observe in the
space below.












3. Estimate how many drosophila heads would fit across the field of view? ________________________

4. What was the diameter of the field of view in mm for low power?__________________________
5. Divide the mm/ # of heads. This is the length of 1 head. Show your work below.



6. Convert mm into micrometers. Show work below.




7. Set the microscope to high power and view the drosophila slide. Draw what you observe in
the space below.












8. How many drosophila heads would fit across the field of view? ______________________________

9. What was the diameter of the field of view in mm for high power?__________________________
10. Divide the mm/ # of heads. This is the length of 1 cell. Show your work below.



11. Convert mm into micrometers. Show work below.


ANALYSIS QUESTIONS
1. Were you able to determine the exact size of the specimen? Explain.














2. As you increased the magnification, what happened to the field of view?
















3. How close were your estimates for the bug head to each other? Which measurement do you
think was more accurate, the 40x or the 100x? Why?