Which combination of objective lens and eyepiece should be used on a compound light microscope to obtain maximum magnification?

• A. 4x objective lens and 10x eyepiece
• B. 10x objective lens and 10x eyepiece
• C. 100x objective lens and 10x eyepiece
• D. 40x objective lens and 10x eyepiece

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of magnification in a compound light microscope: The total magnification is calculated by multiplying the magnification of the objective lens by the magnification of the eyepiece.
2. Identify the magnification values for each combination provided in the problem: For example, a 4x objective lens paired with a 10x eyepiece results in a total magnification of 4 × 10 = 40x.
3. Repeat the calculation for each combination: For a 10x objective lens and 10x eyepiece, the total magnification is 10 × 10 = 100x. For a 40x objective lens and 10x eyepiece, the total magnification is 40 × 10 = 400x. For a 100x objective lens and 10x eyepiece, the total magnification is 100 × 10 = 1000x.
4. Compare the calculated magnifications: The combination that provides the highest magnification is the one with the 100x objective lens and 10x eyepiece, resulting in 1000x magnification.
5. Conclude that to achieve maximum magnification on a compound light microscope, the combination of a 100x objective lens and a 10x eyepiece should be used.