Assignment 1 Overview: Transillumination microscopy

Introduction

Example 20.309 microscope.

Over the next few weeks, you will build an optical microscope using lenses, mirrors, filters, optical mounts, CCD cameras, lasers, and other components in the lab. The work is divided into 5 assignments. Each assignment requires some problem solving, some lab work, some analysis, lots of clear thinking, and an individually written answer sheet turned in on Stellar. All of the items you are expected to turn in are indicated by a pencil symbol in the lab manual.

This symbol means that you have to turn something in.

Background reading and resources

You will work with log-log plots in this assignment and future ones. These seem to confuse everybody. Read this page to remind yourself how log-log plots work.

Several microscope manufacturers maintain educational websites, including Nikon's MicroscopyU, Olympus' Microscopy Primer, and the Zeiss online microscopy campus. The content on these sites ranges from basic concepts like Snell's law and Resolution to advanced techniques like supper resolution imaging.

Assignment details

This assignment has 4 parts:

1. Part 1: Learn about optics and answer a few questions to answer before you start your lab work;
2. Part 2: Some warm-up lab exercises;
3. Part 3: You will build a microscope; and finally you will
4. Part 4: Measure its magnification and the size of some small beads.

You will add fluorescence capability in the next part of the lab.

Submit your work in on Stellar in a single PDF file with the naming convention <Lastname><Firstname>Assignment1.pdf. Here is a checklist of all things you have to turn in:

Make sure to include answers to all the following questions: Part 1 (individually): Answers to the pre-lab questions listed at the bottom of the Part 1 page Part 2 (individually): Turn in your measured focal lengths for each lens A through D. In a table, report the values you measured for $ S_o, S_i, h_o, h_i, $ and $ M $. Plot $ {1 \over S_i} $ as a function of $ {1 \over f} - {1 \over S_o} $ Plot $ {h_i \over h_o} $ as a function of $ {S_i \over S_o} $ Do the relationships between $ M $, $ S_o $, and $ S_i $ match the theory? What sources of error affect your measurements? Plot pixel variance vs mean. How does noise vary as a function of light intensity? Did the plot look the way you expected? Parts 3 and 4 (as a team): Display an example image of the ruler at each magnification, and Make a table of displaying the nominal magnification, object height, image height, actual magnification and FOV (see example below). Don't forget to include appropriate units. Report the length and width of the FOV (in distance units), not its area (in distance units squared). an example image of the ruler at each magnification, and a table of nominal magnification, object height, image height, actual magnification and FOV (see example below). Don't forget to include appropriate units. Report the length and width of the FOV (in distance units), not its area (in distance units squared). Display an example image of each bead size. Include a table containing the average size and uncertainty of the spheres in each sample, and the number of samples measured. In one or two sentences, explain how you chose the number of samples to measure. </br> Note: Parts 1 and 2 will amount to 60% of your grade; parts 3 and 4 to 40%.

Navigation

• Overview
• Part 1: Pre-lab questions
• Part 2: Optics bootcamp
• Part 3: Build a microscope
• Part 4: Measure stuff

Back to 20.309 Main Page

References