microscope: Computation of Magnifying Power

The magnifying power of a lens is commonly expressed in diameters. For example, if a lens magnifies an object 5 times, the magnification is said to be 5 diameters, commonly written simply “5x.” The total magnification of a compound microscope is computed by multiplying the magnifying power of the objective by the magnifying power of the eyepiece.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Electron Microscopes
• Modified Compound Microscopes
• Development and Uses
• Computation of Magnifying Power
• Compound Microscopes
• Simple Microscopes
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Technology: Terms and Concepts