When we think of a microscope, an image like this probably comes to mind:
A microscope is a special tool that uses lenses to make really tiny objects look bigger. The microscope in the picture has two eyepieces, so you can look through it with both eyes. It also has four different lenses that you can switch between to change how much bigger the object looks.
To find out the total magnification, you multiply the magnification of the eyepiece by the magnification of the lens you are using. For example, if the eyepiece makes things look 10 times bigger (10x) and the lens makes them look 4 times bigger (4x), the total magnification is 40 times bigger (40x).
So, that’s what a modern microscope is like. But what did the very first microscope look like? Was it anything like the ones we use today?
Zacharias Janssen’s Microscope
This is a picture of what is thought to be the first microscope. It was supposedly invented by Zacharias Janssen in 1595. It’s said that Zacharias was only 7 years old when he invented it! Because of this, some people think he might not have been the actual inventor, even though he gets the credit.
It’s about 25 centimeters long, which is almost as long as a piece of A4 paper! It’s also just a few centimeters wide.
It’s made of two brass tubes, and each tube has a lens:
- One lens makes things look 3 times bigger (3X).
- The other lens makes things look 5 times bigger (5X).
So, using what we learned earlier, the total magnification with this microscope is 15 times bigger (15X).
As scientists needed better ways to see tiny things, some improvements were made to Zacharias’s microscope. These included adding an arm to hold it steady and a flat platform (called a stage) to put the samples on.
Looking closely at it, doesn’t it look more like a telescope than a modern microscope? What do you think?
