How does increasing the magnification on a light microscope affect the view of a specimen?

• A. Both the specimen and the field of view appear smaller.
• B. Both the specimen and the field of view appear larger.
• C. The specimen appears smaller, and the field of view becomes larger.
• D. The specimen appears larger, but the field of view becomes smaller.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of magnification in a light microscope: magnification is the process of enlarging the appearance of an object so that details can be observed more clearly.
2. Recognize that when magnification increases, the image of the specimen appears larger because the microscope lenses enlarge the specimen's details.
3. Know that the field of view (the visible area seen through the microscope) decreases as magnification increases, meaning you see a smaller portion of the specimen at higher magnification.
4. Combine these ideas: increasing magnification makes the specimen appear larger, but you see less of the overall specimen because the field of view shrinks.
5. Therefore, the correct understanding is that the specimen appears larger, but the field of view becomes smaller when magnification is increased on a light microscope.