Are you considering buying a microscope for your homeschool? {Episode 27}

Looking through a microscope opens the doors to a normally invisible world for our students. Using one will help them to appreciate how complex life really is. However, choosing a microscope for homeschool use can be a bit daunting.

In this episode of the Tips for Homeschool Science Show, I’m sharing tips on how to choose a microscope for homeschool science!

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The Highlights

What should you look for in a microscope?

When purchasing a microscope for homeschool use, look for the following specs:

• A compound monocular microscope;
• A microscope with 4x, 10x, and 40x objective lenses at a minimum (Note: The eyepiece should also give 10x magnification, which then will allow you to look at an object at 40x, 100x, and 400x magnification.);
• A microscope with separate coarse and fine adjustment knobs;
• A good light source. (Note: The best light sources are a LED or cool fluorescent bulb. Do not get one with mirror illumination as they are very difficult to adjust.)

Where can you buy a microscope?

• Lab Essentials, Inc
• Home School Science Tools
• Amazon

What else should you get?

You absolutely must have some kind of dust cover for your microscope! 

You can also purchase a soft or hard case for your microscope. If you plan on transporting your microscope, definitely look at buying a hard case.

Here is a list of several additional materials that will be helpful (but not necessary):

• Prepared slide set
• Blank slides with coverslips (for making your own slides) 
• Concave slide (for viewing small, but thick samples)
• Lens paper (for cleaning the lens)
• Petri or sample dish (for samples that are too large for a slide)
• Test tube with stopper (for mixing samples)
• Non-toxic stain (for staining samples for easier viewing)
• Eyedropper (for making wet mount slides)
• Forceps (for collecting and manipulating samples)

Do you have any questions about selecting a microscope for homeschool use that I didn’t cover? Email them to podcast@elementalscience.com!

Need a bit more help with microscopic science? Check out the following:

• How to make a microscope slide at home
• The palm-sized microscope 
• How to use a microscope 
• Which type of microscope is right for your homeschool?