What is the formula of Magnification?

To calculate the total magnification of a microscope, you can use the following formula:

Magnification Formula

Total Magnification = Eyepiece Magnification × Objective Magnification

Explanation

• Eyepiece Magnification: This is typically a constant value, commonly 10x for most microscopes. It represents how much larger the image appears compared to the naked eye.
• Objective Magnification: This varies depending on the objective lens in use, which can be marked on the lens itself (e.g., 4x, 10x, 40x, 100x).

Example Calculation

If you are using a 10x eyepiece and a 40x objective lens, the total magnification would be calculated as follows:

This means that the specimen will appear 400 times larger than its actual size.

Additional Considerations

For digital microscopes or when viewing images on a monitor, you may need to incorporate additional factors such as digital magnification and monitor size. The formula for on-screen magnification is:
Total On-Screen Magnification = Optical Magnification × Digital Magnification