Owning a 1000x objective may be an attractive goal but realistically, you don’t need this level of magnification to carry out rewarding examinations under your microscope. In fact, anything higher than this is generally considered to be a waste. You can achieve fruitful examination with far less magnification than you might expect.
To see plant cells and blood cells close up, you only need a 40x objective. If you want to look inside the cells, magnification of 400x should be sufficient. This will allow you to see the individual chromosomes within the cell in impressive detail.
All living organisms are made up of cells – even you and me. These cells are typically between 0.01 and 0.03 mm long. The only way to observe them is by using a microscope.
Stronger magnification will allow you to zoom in closely on these cells but only up to a point. There is a peak magnification strength you should hope to achieve and beyond this, you may actually be reducing the resolution of the image.
If you want to examine cells in precise detail, you should aim for a target magnification of 400x. If your microscope’s magnification is higher this then that is great, although 400-600x will give you exceptionally clear detail within blood cells.
A 1000x microscope may sound like a good idea, but achieving a high resolution at this high level of magnification can be difficult to achieve.
The magnification of a microscope is calculated by multiplying the magnification of the objectives with the magnification of the eyepiece. Generally, an eyepiece is going to be 10x or possibly 20x. To get the final magnification, multiply this by the objective magnification, which will likely be 10x, 20x, or 40x.
If your target magnification is 400x, you can achieve this with either a 20x objective and 20x eyepiece, or with a 40x objective and 10x eyepiece. The task of the eyepiece is to magnify the resolution provided by the objective.
The resolution of your specimen will subsequently be higher when the objective magnification is higher. Going back to the previous examples, the 40x objective and 10x eyepiece will give you more detailed magnification than the 20x alternative.
If you are using a digital microscope, then you will have no eyepiece lens but rather a camera. This means that the strength of the objective lens is your total magnification. The trouble is, your image quality can only be as good as your screen resolution.
If you are examining the cells on a monitor with low resolution, it will not be able to reproduce the number of pixels your camera has captured. Subsequently, the size of your screen impacts the magnification of a digital microscope. This means it may take somewhere between 400-600x to examine cells in detail.
Fortunately, most digital microscopes offer 1000x magnification so you can adjust the magnification according to your screen resolution.
How much magnification do you need to see bacteria?
Bacteria are notoriously difficult to examine. They can be found just about everywhere and they exist in colonies. To view them, you need a microscope with powerful magnification. Bacteria are typically between 0.002-0.008mm in length and come in a range of shapes such as spirals and spheres.
To even be able to see the shape of bacteria, you need a magnification of at least 400x. At this level of magnification, it takes a skilled eye to be able to differentiate bacteria from a speck of dirt on the slide. When it comes to examining bacteria, the higher the magnification, the better. Again, this only applies up to about 1000x as anything above this is really not necessary unless you have very specific needs.
You will also need immersion oil to achieve a high level of resolution. At a high magnification level, the bacterial cells will slide in and out of focus. Operating at 1000x is tricky and you will need a stable microscope to be able to observe the details properly.
It takes practice to be able to focus on individual bacteria as they are transparent in appearance and only have color when they are part of a colony. Realistically, you want a digital microscope with 1000x magnification to examine bacteria effectively.
What are some cool things to look at through my microscope?
If you have a microscope with a magnification of 40x, you can focus on specimens and larger cells. The details will remain invisible, but you can get up close with tiny objects like grains of salt or feathers. Things like mushroom gills and pollen look impressive at even a low level of magnification.
At 100x, you can examine specimens in far more detail. This is particularly handy if you want to examine things like insect anatomy. Bacteria will be visible in small dots but it is almost impossible to differentiate it from specs of dirt or dust.
Once you get to 400x magnification, you can take a look inside cells and examine individual chromosomes. Skin cells, scabs, and red and white blood cells can be explored in immense detail. If you get the chance, take a close look at a snowflake. You may be surprised at the shape that presents itself beneath your microscope.
Once you get to 1000x magnification, you need a highly stable device to enable you to focus efficiently. If you are using a digital microscope, you also need a monitor with high resolution. If you have these things, you will be able to examine bacteria in detail.
We also recommend taking a look at a splash of orange juice in rich detail. Spoiler alert – it’s not orange!
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