One of the most basic parts of working with a microscope is preparing a slide. The microscope slide holds the specimen you will be examining through the microscope. In order to see your specimen clearly and observe it for any appreciable length of time, you must know prepare a microscope slide properly.
Instructions
Prepare a Flat Slide for Your Microscope
1. Make sure your slide, cover slip and medicine dropper are all clean, dry and dust-free.
2. Place your flat slide on a clean, dry surface.
3. Use your medicine dropper to suck up a few drops of your liquid sample.
4. Squeeze one drop of your liquid sample out onto the direct center of the flat slide.
5. Gently lower your cover slip onto the flat slide. Put one edge of the cover slip down first, before lowering the rest of it. Do not press down on the cover slip once it is in place.
6. Pick up the slide and cover slip combination and gently place it in the viewing tray of your microscope.
Prepare a Well Slide for Your Microscope
7. Suck up a few drops of your liquid sample into your medicine dropper.
8. Pick up your well slide with your free hand. Use two fingers to do this and grasp only the outer edges of the slide.
9. Squeeze three to four drops of your liquid sample out of the medicine dropper and into the depression on the well slide.
10. Place the well slide on the viewing tray of the microscope.
Tags: cover slip, liquid sample, medicine dropper, your liquid, your liquid sample, drops your
