What range of magnification does microscopic examination use?

What range of magnification does microscopic examination use?

• A. 10-100 times
• B. 50-1000 times
• C. 100-500 times
• D. 500-2000 times

Answer: (B)

Microscopic examination with a light microscope uses a span of magnifications that lets you scan the slide at low power and then zoom in for detail, up to the practical limit of about 1000x. This means you typically start around 50x and go up to roughly 1000x, which covers both broad scanning and fine cellular observation (for example, combining a 10x ocular with a 4x, 10x, 40x, or 100x objective). The other ranges either don’t reach the high magnifications needed for detailed view or go beyond what a standard light microscope can usually achieve. That’s why 50–1000x is the best fit.

Microscopic examination with a light microscope uses a span of magnifications that lets you scan the slide at low power and then zoom in for detail, up to the practical limit of about 1000x. This means you typically start around 50x and go up to roughly 1000x, which covers both broad scanning and fine cellular observation (for example, combining a 10x ocular with a 4x, 10x, 40x, or 100x objective). The other ranges either don’t reach the high magnifications needed for detailed view or go beyond what a standard light microscope can usually achieve. That’s why 50–1000x is the best fit.