Question

If the magnification of objective and eyepiece lenses of a compound microscope are $m_1$ and $m_2$ respectively, then write down the formula for the magnifying power of the microscope.

Hint:

Compound microscopes multiply magnifications of the objective and eyepiece lenses.

Answer 1

Step 1: Recall magnification principle.
A compound microscope consists of two lenses – the objective lens (magnification $m_1$) and the eyepiece lens (magnification $m_2$).
Step 2: Combine magnifications.
The final magnifying power of the microscope is the product of the magnifications: \[ M = m_1 \times m_2. \]
Step 3: Conclusion.
Hence, the magnifying power is $M = m_1 m_2$.