What is the function of using oil under 100x objective?

Question

Under a microscope?

10 points for most helpful answer!

Answer 1

In physics, you learn about the refraction, or bending of light. Under a 100x objective lens, light will refract in different ways, causing the image to look very unfocused. However, oil has an index of refraction similar to the glass lens in the objective. If you look closely, you will actually see that the lens touches the oil on the slide, hence the name "Oil immersion lens". Because these two indicies are very similar, light does not refract as much, enabling you to focus the image and see the image at a very high magnification.

Answer 2

Hi megan,

this is because the normal microscope you are using makes use of light to enable you to view the specimens.  Light becomes refracted when it passes through the glass, at 100x magnification, if the oil is not used, it wouldn't be able to reach your viewing eyepiece.

So the oil you are using is to help redirect the refracted light get to your viewing eyepiece so that you can view your speciments at that magnification.

Answer 3

The most powerful lens of the light microscope is the 100x oil immersion objective. Because light is refracted every time it passes through a medium with a different refractive index, (air to glass or vice versa) the quality of the image is reduced with each passage. Thus, by reducing the number of such passages to a minimum, the clarity, brilliance and resolving power is preserved.