Quick Scoop When using a compound microscope, the total magnification of your sample depends on two key components — the ocular (eyepiece) lens and the objective lens. The magnifications of these lenses multiply together to give the total magnification.

🔬 Step-by-Step Breakdown

  • Ocular lens power: 15x
  • Objective lens power: 40x

Formula:

Total Magnification=Ocular Magnification×Objective Magnification\text{Total Magnification}=\text{Ocular Magnification}\times \text{Objective Magnification}Total Magnification=Ocular Magnification×Objective Magnification

Calculation:

15×40=60015\times 40=60015×40=600

✅ Result

Total magnification = 600x That means the sample appears 600 times larger than its actual size under your microscope.

🧠 Pro Tip

Different objective lenses (e.g., 4x, 10x, 40x, 100x) can be rotated into place to achieve various magnification levels. The ocular lens usually remains constant (often 10x or 15x), so you can easily estimate total magnification by simple multiplication.

Lens Type| Magnification| Combined Magnification (with 15x ocular)
---|---|---
Scanning (4x)| 4x| 60x
Low Power (10x)| 10x| 150x
High Power (40x)| 40x| 600x
Oil Immersion (100x)| 100x| 1500x

Final Answer: The total magnification of a sample with a 15x ocular lens and a 40x objective lens is 600x. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.