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Cells and Microscopy

Magnification and measuring cells

  • 3 things to know
  • Components 01, 02 and 03

Overview

Recall questions on the magnification formula and unit conversions, calculating magnification and actual size from micrographs, typical cell sizes, calibrating an eyepiece graticule with a stage micrometer, field of view calculations and sources of measurement error.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Why must the eyepiece graticule be recalibrated whenever the objective lens is changed?

Key term

Give two sources of error when measuring a cell with an eyepiece graticule.

Key term

What is the magnification formula?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What is the magnification formula?

    Model answer

    Magnification equals image size divided by actual size.

  2. 2

    Rearrange the magnification formula to give the actual size of an object.

    Model answer

    Actual size equals image size divided by magnification.

  3. 3

    Why does a magnification have no units?

    Model answer

    It is the ratio of two lengths measured in the same unit, so the units cancel out.

  4. 4

    Convert 1 mm into micrometres and into nanometres.

    Model answer

    1 mm is 1000 μm and 1 × 10⁶ nm.

  5. 5

    An erythrocyte with an actual diameter of 7.5 μm appears 30 mm wide in a photomicrograph. Calculate the magnification.

    Model answer

    The image is 30 mm, which is 30 000 μm, so the magnification is 30 000 ÷ 7.5 = ×4000.

  6. 6

    A mitochondrion measures 25 mm long on an electron micrograph taken at ×25 000. Calculate its actual length in micrometres.

    Model answer

    Actual length is 25 mm ÷ 25 000 = 0.001 mm, which is 1.0 μm.

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