Practice portal › Ray Optics and Optical Instruments › Optical Instruments

If the tube-length (L) of a compound microscope increases, then its magnification ______.

Asked in GUJCET 2025 · Microscopes

Answer: (2) Increases

Step-by-step solution

Given: a compound microscope whose tube length L -- the separation of objective and eyepiece -- is increased.

Idea: the objective forms a real, enlarged image just inside the focus of the eyepiece, and the eyepiece is then used as a simple magnifier on that image.

With the object placed just outside the objective's focus, the objective's image distance is very nearly the tube length, so its linear magnification is about L/(fₒ).

The eyepiece contributes D/(fₑ), giving m ≈ L/(fₒ)×D/(fₑ).

With fₒ, fₑ and the near point D all fixed, m is proportional to L.

So lengthening the tube increases the magnification.

Why the other options are wrong

More Optical Instruments questionsAll Optical Instruments questions →

Reading this solution needs no sign-in. You only sign in to practise against the clock and keep your progress.

Practise this with a timer