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

May 08, 2017 2 min read

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

Are you in the market for a microscope for your homeschool? Don't miss these tips.

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?

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:



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