Stereo Microscopes and Compound Microscopes By Tejas Jha *Note that compound and stereo microscopes are both different types of light microscopes Compound Microscopes • The “classic microscope” • Consists of two or more double convex lenses • Can be utilized by a single beam light path (monocular microscope) o Commonly used • Can also be utilized by a double beam light path (binocular microscope) o Used when high resolution is required • The average magnification can range from 40x to 1000x • Used for observing things from the size of frog eggs to different organelles of a cell
Stereo Microscope • Used to create a three dimensional view of the specimen. • Uses two separate light paths to get a true stereo image of the specimen • Usually used for inspection and work involving non-microscopic activities such as: inspection of coins, insects, electrical components, rocks and gems, etc. • Used for magnification from 5x-50x but magnification can reach as much as 400x