Question

When viewing through a compound microscope, our eyes should be positioned not on the eyepiece but a short distance away from it for best viewing. Why? How much should be that short distance between the eye and eyepiece?

Answer 1

When we place our eyes too close to the eyepiece of a compound microscope, we are unable to collect much-refracted light. As a result, the field of view decreases substantially. Hence, the clarity of the image gets blurred.

The best position of the eye for viewing through a compound microscope is at the eye-ring attached to the eyepiece. The precise location of the eye depends on the separation between the objective lens and the eyepiece.