A microscope is a device for viewing small objects that cannot be seen by the unaided eye. The most common type of microscope is an optical microscope, which uses visible light. They are extremely sensitive instruments and normally need to be adjusted before each use. These adjustments must account for environmental changes and differences in each operator's vision.
Instructions
1. Turn on the microscope's light and set the illumination light to a comfortable level. Rotate the lowest-power objective lens into position.
2. Adjust the distance between the two eyepieces if you have a binocular microscope. Rotate the ring on the left eyepiece so that the marks on the ring and the eyepiece tube line up. This will allow you to adjust the eyepieces so you get a single image. Once the eyepieces are properly adjusted, you can lock them by rotating the ring on the left eyepiece once again.
3. Remove your eyeglasses unless absolutely necessary, as they tend to scratch the eyepiece. You generally will not need glasses for most types of nearsightedness or farsightedness, since the microscope can focus the image as needed. However, you may need to keep your glasses on if you have a heavy prescription or astigmatism.
4. Place a slide on the stage with the cover slip up. Carefully raise the condenser as high as it will go and set the condenser's diaphragm on 30. Change to the 10x objective lens and focus with the coarse focus knob. Bring the slide into clear focus with the fine focus knob. Switch to the 40x objective lens and focus with the fine focus knob. You should not need to use the coarse focus knob for the remainder of your viewing session.
5. Make the final adjustments for a binocular microscope. Close your left eye and focus the image through the right eyepiece with the fine focus knob. Close your right eye and focus the image through the left eyepiece using the diopter ring adjustment on the left eyepiece.
Tags: focus knob, left eyepiece, fine focus, fine focus knob, focus image, focus with, objective lens