• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Menu
  • Science Experiments For Kids
  • Science Fair Projects
  • Preschool Science
  • Science Facts
  • Printable Experiments
  • Science Sparks Books
  • Science Questions
  • Contact Me
Science Experiments for Kids
Menu
  • STEM Challenges
  • Early Years Science
    • Preschool Science
    • Sensory and Messy Play
    • Understanding of the World
    • Pirate Science Experiments
  • Primary Science
    • Baking Soda Experiments
    • Candy Experiments
    • Biology
    • Climate Change for Kids
    • Coding for Kids
    • Chemistry
    • Electricity for Kids
    • Magic Science Experiments
    • Harry Potter Experiments
    • Human Body Science
    • Air Pressure Experiments
    • Life Cycles
    • LEGO Science Experiments
    • Kitchen Science
    • Famous Scientists
    • Forces and Motion
    • Science Sparks Snippets
    • Key Stage 1 Science
      • Animals
      • Everyday Materials
      • Plants
      • Coding Activities
      • Humans and Health
      • Fine Motor skills
      • Science and Literacy
    • Key Stage 2 Science
      • Animals, Including Humans
      • Electricity
      • Light
      • Plants
      • Materials and their Properties
  • Key Stage 3
  • Holiday Science
    • Christmas Science
    • Halloween Science
    • Easter Science
  • Storybook Themed Science Experiments
  • Wonderful Women in STEM
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • FREE Experiments
  • Science for Kids
    • Kitchen Science
    • Climate Change
    • Egg Experiments
    • Fairy Tale Science
    • Edible Science
    • Human Health
    • Chemistry
    • Inspirational Women
    • Forces and Motion
  • Science Fair Projects
  • STEM Challenges
  • Science Sparks Books
  • Contact Science Sparks
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Primary Science » Key Stage 1 Science » Scientific Enquiry » How to Use a Microscope

    How to Use a Microscope

    November 20, 2020 By Emma Vanstone Leave a Comment

    Microscopes are used to see cells and other small things in detail. They are used to produce magnified ( enlarged ) images.

    The Romans first used glass to magnify images in the 1st Century, but the first microscope with a lens in a tube wasn’t made until the 1590s.

    Microscopes have continued to improve over the years and we can now get a magnification of x1500 with a light microscope!!

    There are two main types of microscopes.

    Light Microscopes

    Light microscopes are used to look at cells when a relatively low magnification and resolution is all that’s needed.

    Electron Microscopes

    Electron microscopes are used when a higher magnification and resolution are needed. They use a beam of electrons instead of rays of light.

    Samples have to be placed in a vacuum which means living cells cannot be viewed this way.

    What is magnification?

    Magnification is the amount an object is enlarged, but just increasing the magnification doesn’t always mean you can see more detail. To see detail you need good resolution.

    What is resolution?

    Resolution is the detail of an image that can be seen under a microscope.

    A light microscope has a resolution of around 200 nanometers which means it cannot distinguish anything between those points.

    Electron microscopes have a resolution of less than 1 nanometer!

    E. coli as seen under an electron microscope
    E. coli as seen under an electron microscope

    What is microscope slide?

    A microscope slide is a very thin piece of glass used to hold the object that is to be viewed. They usually have another smaller, very thin piece of glass called a coverslip which fits on top of the sample.

    Sometimes chemical stains are used to make sections of the cell easier to see. Iodine and methylene blue are often used.

    How to use a Microscope

    Carefully place your prepared slide onto the stage ( flat bit under the lenses ).

    Angle the mirror or light so it is shining light through the hole in the stage.

    Start with the lowest powered lens, this allows you to see more of the slide.

    Look down the eyepiece and turn the focusing knob until the image looks clear.

    Try with different ( higher powered ) objective lenses until you get a clear image.

    Labelled Diagram of a Microscope
    Labelled Diagram of a Microscope

    Remember

    Take care not to let the objective lens crash into the slide.

    How do you calculate magnification

    Total magnification = eyepiece magnification x object lens magnification

    Challenge

    Draw what you can see and ask a friend if they can guess what it is!

    Make a simple magnifying glass with a plastic bottle!

    IQCREW by Amscope – Premium Microscope and Camera Kit

    This premium 85+ piece microscope microscope from Amscope is fantastic and a great plug and play STEM tool. It comes with both blank and pre prepared slides, so children have something to look at straight away, but can also learn how to prepare their own slides too.

    Everything comes in a handy box, which is great for keeping all the bits together.

    Amscope premium microscope in box

    We especially love the colour digital eyepiece camera which allowed us to see images on the computer straight away rather than looking down the microscope all the time.

    pollen under a microscope
    Amscope Premium microscope

    The Amscope camera software is easy to use and guides children through using the microscope, preparing slides and also has a brilliant library of sample specimen images and an interactive real-time specimen image editing page too!

    How to make a microscope slide

    The magnifications range from 120X up to 1200X and the easy focus system, two light sources, and built-in colour filter wheel make it very easy to use. My 10 year old has already spent hours finding things to look at and learned so much. I know this is something we will keep coming back to for years. She’s also very excited about trying the other activities included in the set including growing crystals and hatching shrimps!

    This is an image of the wings of a moth that we took.

    We were kindly sent the microscope from Amscope to review

    Last Updated on November 20, 2020 by Emma Vanstone

    « The Best FREE Science Apps for Kids
    Great STEM Gifts for Kids »

    Safety Notice

    Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

    These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    What are you looking for?

    JOIN US!

    Get new experiments straight into your inbox every week!!

    Thank you!

    You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

    .

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Science Sparks - FREE science experiments for kids

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Services
    • Media Kit
    • FAQ

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Science Sparks - Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd