Microscope Magnification Calculator

Work out microscope magnification instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Microscope Magnification Calculator

Multiplies objective, eyepiece and any camera factor to give total magnification, and flags where empty magnification begins.

Formula

Total magnification

Total = objective magnification x eyepiece magnification x camera or tube factor

Worked example

With the default values below, Microscope Magnification Calculator returns Total magnification of 400.0. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Objective magnificationaccepts 1–200: 40
Eyepiece magnificationaccepts 1–40: 10
Camera or tube factoraccepts 0.3–5: 1

Results

Total magnification: 400.0 x
Objective and eyepiece only: 400.0 x
Apparent size of a 10 micron object: 4.000 mm
Useful magnification note: Within the useful range for light microscopy

Step by step

1Values used
2Total magnification
3Total magnification= 400.0 x
4Objective and eyepiece only= 400.0 x
5Apparent size of a 10 micron object= 4.000 mm
6Useful magnification note= Within the useful range for light microscopy

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is empty magnification?

Magnification beyond the resolving power of the optics: the image gets bigger without revealing more detail.

What sets the resolution limit?

The numerical aperture and wavelength: resolution is about 0.61 x wavelength / numerical aperture, near 200 nm for visible light.