Which setting would allow you to observe a specimen with the highest possible magnification?
Biology · Middle School · Wed Jan 13 2021
Answered on
To observe a specimen with the highest possible magnification, you would typically adjust the settings on a compound microscope, which is commonly used for high-magnification viewing. Here are the important settings and steps to achieve the highest magnification:
1. **Objective Lens**: Choose the highest power objective lens on your microscope. This is usually marked as 100x (sometimes referred to as an oil immersion lens). As this lens has the highest magnifying power, it can observe the smallest details of the specimen.
2. **Oil Immersion**: For 100x magnification, you usually need to use oil immersion. A drop of immersion oil is placed on the slide over the area to be observed, and the oil immersion lens is carefully lowered into the oil droplet. The oil has a similar refractive index to glass, which increases the resolving power of the microscope at high magnifications.
3. **Eyepiece (Ocular Lens)**: Ensure that the eyepiece lens also has the highest magnification possible, generally 10x or 15x.
4. **Fine Focus Knob**: Use the fine focus knob for sharp and precise focusing at high magnifications because the depth of field is extremely shallow, and slight movement can cause the object to go out of focus.
5. **Light Intensity**: Proper illumination is crucial at high magnification. Increase light intensity, but be cautious to avoid overheating or damaging the specimen.
6. **Condenser and Iris Diaphragm**: The condenser should be raised to its uppermost position to focus the light directly through the specimen, and the iris diaphragm should be adjusted to provide optimal contrast.
Using these settings, you would achieve the highest magnification available on most educational and research-grade compound microscopes. Remember, the maximum theoretical magnification that can be achieved while still retaining image clarity is around 1000x to 2000x. Beyond this, images generally become empty magnification and show no more useful detail.