Prepare your sample

The following things are required:

• Samples (such as flowers, fruit, leaves, etc)
• preparation knives
• cutting board
• sharp-headed pinchers
• preparation glass (approximately 3 cm x 7 cm glass, reusable)
• cover glass (approximately 2 cm x 2 cm, plastic, disposable)
• a pipette filled with water

Optional additions:

• Different dyes to colour the samples (methylene blue is a good basic colour, although it can make a mess)

Do the following:

• Use the knife and the pinchers to prepare as thin and translucent a sample as possible. The sample should be so thin that you can (almost) see through it with the naked eye.
• The sample does not need to be very large.
• Place a drop of water on the preparation glass.
• Place the sample on top of the water on the preparation glass
• Caregully cover the sample with a cover glass.

Studying the sample with a microscope:

• Place the sample on the preparation table of the microscope.
• Attach the preparation glass to the microscope with clips, if your microscope includes them.

Common problems:

1. "I can't see anything!"

• Check the lamp, the diaphragm, and the object lens of the microscope. Make sure that they are in their correct positions. 
• Check that the sample is placed correctly on the preparation table of the microscope.

2. "I can only see a weird dark mess!"

• The sample is too thick. Use the pinchers and the knife to make a thinner sample.

3. "I can see many black-edged circles!"

• Make sure that the sample is completely on top of the water and that no air bubbles are visible., 
• If there is an air bubble under the preparation glass, apply some pressure to it with the pinchers. 
• If there is too little water under the sample, add some water from the pipette on the edge of the preparation glass

4. "I can't prepare a sample!"

• Ask your teacher for pre-prepared samples.