The World of the Microscope
You'll use microscopes loads in biology, so understanding how they work is crucial for your studies. Magnification tells you how many times bigger the image appears compared to the real object, whilst resolving power is about how clearly you can distinguish between two close points.
Light microscopes have been around since the 1600s and use light beams to create images up to x2000 magnification. They're brilliant for studying living specimens and won't break the bank. Electron microscopes are the heavy hitters - developed in the 1930s, they use electron beams and can magnify up to x2000000 with much better detail.
The key measurements you'll need are metres , millimetres (mm), micrometres (µm), and nanometres (nm). Remember: there are 1000 mm in a metre, 1,000,000 µm in a metre, and 1,000,000,000 nm in a metre.
Quick Tip: Total magnification = eyepiece magnification × objective magnification. You'll use this formula in practicals!
