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What's the difference between a
"stereoscope" and a "microscope"?
A stereoscope (pictured below, left) is a binocular microscope (also
known as a "dissecting microscope") that magnifies at a relatively low power
for viewing three-dimensional, opaque objects, such as flowers, insects, mineral
specimens, fossils, coins, or really anything. Generally the magnification
of a stereoscope is between 20x and 50x, and specimens are lighted from
above. The three-dimensional image is produced by TWO objective lenses,
plus the eyepieces.
A biological or compound microscope (pictured
below, right) might have a binocular
(two eyepieces) OR
monocular head, and magnifies at a much higher power than a stereoscope. A
compound microscope is designed for viewing small cells, or thin sections of organs or
tissues placed on a glass mounting slide. The specimens are thin enough
that light can pass through them from below. Magnifications of compound microscopes
are generally range from 40x to 1000x, and there is one objective lens (the lens
above the specimen) used at a time. Usually there are several objective
lenses that can be rotated into place above the specimen for viewing with
varying magnifications.
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Stereoscope or Dissecting Scope |
Compound Microscope |
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