Microscope Buying Tips

What kind of microscope do you need, high power or low power?
And what is best to meet your needs?

There are basically two types of microscopes, high and low power.

Tips on Selecting a High Power Microscope
High power or compound microscopes magnify thin specimen sections that are mounted on slides. They are ideal for observing tissues, cells, protozoans, and other microscopic matter not visible to the human eye. Most homeschool families will need this type of microscope for life science / biology studies or science fair projects.

School microscopes have 40, 100 and 400x magnification; achromatic DIN optics; coarse and fine focusing; and a good illumination system.

Tips on selection Low Power Micrscopes

Low power microscopes are very versatile with typical magnifications of 10 to 40x. These microscopes are designed for viewing whole objects like rocks, insects and flowers, but can also be used for viewing prepared slides.

They are helpful for natural science students and are expecially ideal for young children because a slide can be viewed without presenation.

Consider a low power microscope as a 2nd choice or as a 2nd microscope because it will not meet your high school biology needs for viewing cell details. Unfortunately, no one microscope can do both jobs of high power and low power.

Here are some ideas of what you can view through a low power microscope:

• Compare mineral and crystal samples.


• Make a simple prepared slide by putting a strand of hair, grain of salt or sugar to a piece of tape. Your child can view the specimen side-up.


• Observe the habits of live insects in a petri dish.


• Study a dish of pond water or sea monkeys to see tiny creatures swim, dive and eat.


• Dissect a flower to learn about the intricacies of all of their parts.

Please subscribe to my free monthly e-zine, Science Fair Enthusiasts. and learn more about choosing microscope buying tips plus up-to-date-information on science fair projects.