Lab 1: Measurement and Microscopy
Kevina Smith
Lab 1: Microscopy and the Metric System
Part A: Microscopy
Purpose
The purpose of this experiment was to learn how to use a microscope correctly and perform wet mount slides accurately, thus becoming more familiar with the microscope.
Hypothesis
It would be hard to use the microscope without any kind of previous training and the parts of the microscope and their functions must be learned in order to use it properly. Materials & Methods Materials: 1. Filter paper 2. Tweezers 3. Pipettes 4. Cover glasses 5. Glass slides 6. The sample material (from the pond) Methods: 1. Mix sample so that the sample is properly suspended in water. 2. Use a pipette to pick up some of the sample. 3. Apply a small (dime-sized) amount onto a glass slide. 4. Take a single piece of cover glass, using care not to get fingerprints on it, place it gently onto the sample with tweezers or your hands, and at about a 45-degree angle, place the cover glass onto the glass slide. * What to do if there is too much water? 1. Place the edge/end of the filter paper against the glass slide. 2. Cover slide to remove some of the excess water to make the slide more stable to use and view under the microscope. * What to do if there is not enough water? 1. Either by pipette or tweezers to allow the capillary action and surface tension to pull the water in towards the sample. * What to do if the sample is not suspended in water (it’s a dry particle/substance)? 1. Use the tweezers (or another pipette) and add some drops of water to a glass slide. 2. Then, add the particle to the glass slide… be sure to add water to the particle as it will prevent air bubbles from forming. If the substance is hydrophobic (and contains textile fibers), immersion oil is an acceptable substance and if it’s hydrophilic, water is the better. * To look at water samples to observe the organisms in the water, but
Lab 1: Microscopy and the Metric System
Part A: Microscopy
Purpose
The purpose of this experiment was to learn how to use a microscope correctly and perform wet mount slides accurately, thus becoming more familiar with the microscope.
Hypothesis
It would be hard to use the microscope without any kind of previous training and the parts of the microscope and their functions must be learned in order to use it properly. Materials & Methods Materials: 1. Filter paper 2. Tweezers 3. Pipettes 4. Cover glasses 5. Glass slides 6. The sample material (from the pond) Methods: 1. Mix sample so that the sample is properly suspended in water. 2. Use a pipette to pick up some of the sample. 3. Apply a small (dime-sized) amount onto a glass slide. 4. Take a single piece of cover glass, using care not to get fingerprints on it, place it gently onto the sample with tweezers or your hands, and at about a 45-degree angle, place the cover glass onto the glass slide. * What to do if there is too much water? 1. Place the edge/end of the filter paper against the glass slide. 2. Cover slide to remove some of the excess water to make the slide more stable to use and view under the microscope. * What to do if there is not enough water? 1. Either by pipette or tweezers to allow the capillary action and surface tension to pull the water in towards the sample. * What to do if the sample is not suspended in water (it’s a dry particle/substance)? 1. Use the tweezers (or another pipette) and add some drops of water to a glass slide. 2. Then, add the particle to the glass slide… be sure to add water to the particle as it will prevent air bubbles from forming. If the substance is hydrophobic (and contains textile fibers), immersion oil is an acceptable substance and if it’s hydrophilic, water is the better. * To look at water samples to observe the organisms in the water, but