Question

A person with a normal near point (25 cm) using a compound microscope with the objective of focal length 8.0 mm and an eyepiece of focal length 2.5 cm can bring an object placed at 9.0 mm from the objective in sharp focus. What is the separation between the two lenses? Calculate the magnifying power of the microscope.

Answer 1

Focal length of the objective lens, f_o = 8 mm = 0.8 cm

Focal length of the eyepiece, f_e = 2.5 cm

Object distance for the objective lens, u_o = −9.0 mm = −0.9 cm

Least distance of distant vision, d = 25 cm

Image distance for the eyepiece, v_e = −d = −25 cm

Object distance for the eyepiece = u_e

Using the lens formula, we can obtain the value of u_e as:

`1/v_e - 1/u_e = 1/f_e`

`1/u_e = 1/v_e - 1/f_e`

`1/u_e = 1/-25 - 1/2.5`

`1/u_e = (-1 - 10)/25`

`1/u_e = (-11)/25`

u_e = `-25/11`

∴ u_e = −2.27 cm

We can also obtain the value of the image distance for the objective lens (v_o) using the lens formula.

`1/v_o = 1/u_o = 1/f_o`

`1/v_o = 1/f_o + 1/u_o`

`1/v_o = 1/0.8 - 1/0.9`

`1/v_o = (0.9 - 0.8)/0.72`

`1/v_o = 0.1/0.72`

∴ v_o = 7.2 cm

The distance between the objective lens and the eyepiece = |u_e| + v_o

= 2.27 + 7.2

= 9.47 cm

The magnifying power of the microscope is calculated as:

`v_o/|u_o| (1 + d/f_e)`

= `7.2/0.9 (1 + 25/2.5)`

= 8 × (1 + 10)

= 88

Hence, the magnifying power of the microscope is 88.