30 November 2007

4 Basic Features of a Good Student Microscope

There are three basic features of a student microscope in order for it to be considered a good and suitable one for your kids to use in school. Check if these three are present before buying such microscope:  possesses a dual focus, possesses a built-in light, possesses a mechanical stage, and possesses a binocular head.

Science projects and other related science activities normally require the use of microscopes. As a parent, it is very important that you choose the right type of microscope for your kids. Be careful not to confuse a toy microscope with a student microscope. To help you find the appropriate microscope, here is  a list of features you need to find on the product's box before purchasing one.

Possesses of a dual focus

Dual focus would refer to the coarse and fine focus of a microscope. A dual focus capability is necessary and important especially for high magnification purposes. A microscope is intended to magnify both the width and depth of a specimen.

Possesses a built-in light

A student can still use a microscope without a built-in light. With the use of a mirror and a lamp, he can still go on with his science observation using his microscope. The drawback here, though, is that it does not give him enough comfort and convenience in dealing with his science activity. Since his attention is divided between his experiment and with his supply of light as he work. The advantage of having a built-in light is that it gives the student the opportunity to develop his capacity to learn how to adjust lights while doing a science activity with the use of microscopes.

Possesses a mechanical stage

A good microscope for students should have a bracket that is movable. The movable bracket's purpose is to move a slide either vertically or horizontally without having to hold the slide. Although, a microscope using stage clips can still function well, yet a microscope with a mechanical stage offers preciseness when moving a particular specimen.

Possesses a binocular head

A microscope with a binocular head is most suitable for longer sessions of microscope use. It prevents eye strain as compared to a microscope with a monocular  head. Using a monocular microscope can cause headache and/or dizziness to your student kid after long hours of using the microscope for science observations. The only thing about binocular microscopes is that they are more expensive that monocular microscopes.

Choosing for one of the best student microscopes is an easy task after all. You just need to look for the basic features that make for a good student microscope. It's not necessary to have all four features in one microscope. A microscope can still be functional even in the absence one feature. But, then again if you have all four, that would definitely spell out a very useful and good choice for your kids to use.

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