Bresser 900x User manual

900x Microscope
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WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD Small Parts.
Not for children under 8 years.
WARNING: This set contains chemicals that may be harmful if
misused. Read cautions in the Instruction Manual and on individ-
ual containers carefully. Not to be used by children except under
adult supervision. Do not allow chemicals to come into contact
with any part of the body, particularly the mouth and eyes. Keep
small children and animals away from experiments.
This kit also contains instruments and other materials with sharp
edges and points that may be harmful if misused. Eye protection
is recommended.
Battery Safety Instructions
• Always purchase the correct size (2 x 1.5V AA, 15A/15AC/15CD/15D
ANSI, LR6/R6C IEC) and grade of battery most suitable for the
intended use.
• Replace all batteries of a set at the same time.
• Do not mix old batteries and new batteries.
• Do not mix alkaline, standard (Carbon Zinc), or rechargeable
(Nickel Cadmium) batteries.
• Ensure the batteries are installed correctly with regard to polarity
(+ and -).
• Clean the battery contacts and also those of the device prior to battery
installation.
• Remove batteries from equipment which is not to be used for an
extended period of time.
• Remove used batteries promptly.
• Never attempt to recharge primary batteries as this may cause leakage,
re, or explosion.
• Never short-circuit batteries as this may lead to high temperatures,
leakage or explosion.
• Never heat batteries in order to revive them.
• Remember to switch off devices after use.
• Keep batteries out of the reach of children; small batteries may
be ingested.
Caution:
• If batteries or parts are swallowed, see a doctor immediately.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS
CHOKING HAZARD: Small parts.
For children 8 years and older. Use under adult supervision.
The following chemicals in this package could be harmful if misused:
• Eosin Biological Dye CAUTION: Avoid eye and skin contact. Do
not swallow. Do not inhale. May cause irritation.In case of accident,
call a doctor. Keep away from young children.
• Fenazo Blue Dye CAUTION: Avoid eye and skin contact. Do not
swallow. Do not inhale. May cause irritation.In case of accident, call
a doctor. Keep away from young children.
Contains instruments and other materials with sharp points
and edges.
SAFETY INFORMATION
General First Aid Information
a) In case of eye contact: Wash out eye with plenty of water, holding eye
open if necessary. Seek immediate medical advice.
b) If swallowed: Wash out mouth with water, drink some fresh water. Do not
induce vomiting. Seek immediate medical advice.
c) In case of inhalation: Remove person to fresh air.
d) In case of skin contact and burns: Wash affected area with plenty of
water for 15 minutes.
e) In case of a cut: Wash the cut with antiseptic solution (if unavailable,
use clean water). Next, carefully place a bandage over the wound. In case
of serious injury, you should seek rst aid and inform a doctor as soon as
possible.
f) If in doubt or serious injury occurs, seek medical attention immediately. In
addition to the container, take these instructions and any material used in
the slide preparation with you.
ADVICE FOR SUPERVISING ADULTS
a) Read and follow the instructions, the safety information and the rst aid
information carefully. Keep them on hand for reference.
b) The incorrect use of chemicals can cause injury and damage to one’s
health. Use only the slide preparations listed in the instructions.
c) This microscope is for children 8 years and older, and only with adult
supervision.To be used solely under the strict supervision of adults that
have studied the precautions provided.
d) Because children’s abilities vary, even within age groups, supervising
adults should exercise discretion regarding which slide preparations
are suitable and safe for children. The instructions should aid adults in
assessing slide preparations to discern their suitability for each child.
e) Supervising adults should discuss the warnings and safety information
with the child before commencing the preparation of slides. Pay particular
attention to the safe handling of chemicals (if used).
f) Your preparation space should be kept clean, clear and away from any
food storage areas. Prepare your slides in a well-lit area and close to a
water supply. A solid table with a heat resistant top should also be used.
g) A separate tin or bucket should be used for the disposal of solid waste
materials. Any wasted solution should be poured directly down a drain, but
never into a sink basin.
900x Microscope
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Let’s Start!
Lift the microscope from the box using
two hands. Place the microscope on at,
sturdy surface.
Always be mindful of your mirror and light
source. The more light that is reected or
transmitted through the hole in the stage,
the brighter and sharper the images will
appear in the microscope eyepiece.
Accessories
A. Scalpel
B. Needle
C. Stirring Rod
D. Graduated Cylinder
E. Collecting Vials
F. Tweezers
G. Slide Covers and Labels
H. Replacement Light Bulb
I. Prepared/Blank Slides
J. Micro-slicer
K. Petri Dish
L. Fenazo Blue Dye
M. Eosin Red Dye
N. Sea Salt
O. Brine Shrimp Eggs
P. Shrimp Hatchery
Q. Cover Slips (under box of slides)
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Microscope Features
R. Focus Knob. Slowly turn the knob back
and forth to focus an object in the eyepiece.
Notice what happens to the power indicator
(U, Fig. 1) as you turn the knob.
S. The Body Tube. Connected to the
eyepiece and helps focus the lenses.
T. The Eyepiece with xed lens that has
a10X magnication. Remove the dust
cover from the eyepiece and put it aside in
a safe place.
U. Power Indicator/ Objective Turret. The
turret has 3 lenses or objectives: 10X,
40X, and 90X (See Fig. 2). The shorter
the objective, the lower the power or
magnication. The longest objective
is the highest power. To calculate the
magnication you are using, multiply the
value of the objective by the power of the
eyepiece (note that the power indicator on
the turret makes this calculation for you).
For example, turn the power indicator to
the longest objective (90X), and multiply
by the power of your xed eyepiece (10X)
– you will magnify the object by 900 times
(note that the power indicator reads 900).
This means that the object appears 900
times larger than it appears to the naked
eye! Gently turn the power indicator on the
objective turret (U, Fig. 1). You will feel and
hear the objectives lens click into place.
Practice turning the focus knob (R, Fig. 1)
in both directions and notice how far you
can turn it without letting the objective
come into contact with the stage (V, Fig. 1).
V. The Stage is a at platform with a
hole in the center to allow reected light
off the mirror or light source to enter the
microscope.
W. The Stage Clips (2) hold the glass slide
rmly onto the stage.
X. Mirror/Light Source. While holding the
base down, pull on the arm to tip the micr
scope back. Examine the mirror and light
source located below the stage to see how
you Fig. 3: Install batteries in
the base.
TIP: Begin viewing at the
lowest magnication or power
and focus the object. Once the
image is focused, increase
magnic tion by turning the
objective turret and refocus.
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can adjust them, and choose one or the
other. The light source turns on auto-
matically when tipped upwards toward the
stage. The mirror gathers and reects light
into the microscope.
Y. Base/Battery Compartment. Place the
microscope on its side. To remove the pro-
tective plastic cover, remove the screws
with a Philips head screwdriver. Gently lift
and thebase will open. Insert two “AA” bat-
teries (user supplied) in the base. Match
the positive (+) and negative (-) poles of
the batteries with the (+) and (-) markings
on the base (Fig. 3). To replace lid, posi-
tion it over the opening and replace the
screws.
Z. Color Filter and Aperture Wheel. The
color lters are incorporated in the stage.
Use these lters to add colors and en-
hance an image in the eyepiece.
Start Observing!
Tip: It is recommended that you begin
viewing at the lowest magnication or
power and focus the
object. Once the image is focused, in-
crease magnication by turning the objec-
tive turret and refocus.
CAUTION: Be careful as you turn the
focus knob so that the objective lens does
not make contact
with a slide or the stage. This may cause
damage to the slide and also to the objec-
tive lens. Now that you’ve studied the fea-
tures of your microscope, its time to take
it out for a test drive and try out a simple
observing exercise.
1. Rotate the focus knob (R, Fig. 1) and
raise the body tube (S, Fig. 1) as far as
it will go. Turn the tu ret (U, Fig. 1) to the
shortest objective (the power indicator will
read 100x).
2. Put one of the prepared glass slides
under the stage clips (W, Fig. 1) and posi-
tion the prepared specimen over the hole
in the stage.
3. Rotate the focus knob to lower the body
tube as far as it will go.
4. Look through the eyepiece (T, Fig. 1)
and
TIP: Always keep both eyes
open when looking through
the eyepiece.
Doing so will relieve stress on
your eyes.
CAUTION: Be careful as you
turn the focus knob so that
the objective lens does not
make contact with a slide or
the stage. This may cause
damage to the slide and also
to the objective lens.
CAUTION: To prevent the
wires attached to the light from
breaking, never rotate the light
source a full 360°.
Fig. 4: Rotate light to turn on.
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slowly turn the focus knob until the speci-
men can be seen in focus.
5. Observe what happens when you
slowly move the light source (Fig. 4) or the
mirror.
Adjust the mirror or light source to provide
the amount of light that gives you the best
image.
6. Look in the eyepiece and observe what
happens to the image when you move the
slide to the left and then to the right.
7. If you wish to increase magnication,
rotate the objective turret to a higher
power
and refocus. Practice rotating the turret to
change magnication.
Tip: Always keep both eyes open when
looking through the eyepiece. Doing so
will relieve stress on your eyes.
Don’t always assume that increasing mag-
nication will produce the best image for
viewing.
Each time you increase in magnication,
the amount of light decreases, and the
section of the image you are able to view
also decreases. This is desirable for some
specimens, but not for others.
Try Out the Color Filter
Locate the color lter located at the front
of the stage (Z, Fig. 1). Rotate the lter to
change lter colors.
Observe how the color lter affects your
view of the prepared slide. Next, take a
blank slide and place a few grains of salt
or sugar on it. Rotate the lter and see
how the ltered light enhances the image
of the salt or sugar.
Tip: Use the color lter especially when
looking at clear or dim specimens.
The Brine Shrimp Hatchery
Brine shrimp are tiny crustacean that
are ideal for study with a microscope.
Crustacean are sea creatures with hard
shells and antennae. Crabs and lobsters
are perhaps the most well-known crusta-
cean. Brine shrimp are the major part of
the diet of many sea creatures. The word
brine means water containing noticeable
amounts of
CAUTION: When you are
nished observing, be sure to
turn the light source around, if
necessary, so that it turns off
and doesn’t wear down the
batteries.
Remove the batteries before
storing the microscope for a
month or longer.
NOTE: The view presented in
the eyepiece is upside-down
and reversed from left to right
of the object. In other words,
if you wish to examine more
of the left side, move the slide
to the right. Or if you wish to
examine more of the top of the
image, move the slide down—
and vice-versa.
CAUTION: Be careful not
to touch the slide with the
objective lens. You can break
the slide and/or the lens by
touching the slide with the
lens.
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salt. Brine shrimp are salt water creatures.
Your microscope kit comes supplied with
sea salt (N, Fig. 1), brine shrimp eggs (O,
Fig. 1) and a shrimp hatchery (P, Fig. 1).
The brine shrimp eggs included with this
set are dried and will remain alive for up to
ve years if stored in a cool, dry place.
Perform the following procedure to hatch
the brine shrimp eggs:
1. To hatch the eggs, rst prepare a brine
solution. Pour the entire contents of the
vial containing the sea salt (N, Fig. 1) into
a quart (946 cc) of water. Add the brine
shrimp eggs into the solution. Allow the
solution to stand at room temperature (70°
- 80°F or 21° - 26°C) for 24 to 48 hours
and the eggs will hatch into nauplius lar-
vae (this is the rst stage of development
after leaving the eggs).
2. Place some of the larvae into one of the
compartments of the shrimp hatchery (P,
Fig. 1).
3. Place some fresh brine solution in an-
other compartment. Add a small amount
of yeast to this new solution. Then, us-
ing an eyedropper, transfer some of the
larvae into this compartment as well.
The yeast will serve as food and produce
oxygen for the larvae as they develop into
maturity. Without food and oxygen, the
shrimp cannot develop and will die.
Mature brine shrimp are known as Artemia
Salina.
4. Observe the life cycle of the shrimp as
they grow: the dried eggs, the hatching
eggs, the developing larvae, and nally,
the mature shrimp.
5. The mature shrimp may be fed to sh in
an aquarium if you so wish. However, rst
remove the shrimp from the brine solu-
tion and place them into fresh water. An
increase in salt may harm the sh in the
aquarium.
Make Your Own Slides
It’s so easy to make slides that the vari-
ety of slides you can create will be limited
only by your own imagination.
NOTE: Use the color lter
especially when looking at
clear or dim specimens.
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A section of almost any material can be
placed on a slide and observed with a
microscope. All you need is the proper
equipment and a little patience, and you’ll
be making slides in no time.
Everything you need for the following
experiments can be found in this kit or
around your home (make sure to ask a
parent rst before you borrow any of his or
her items, such as the measuring cup).
Locate the follow items:
• Petroleum jelly
• Wide mouth jar and lid
• A measuring cup
• Paper towels
• A potato, uncooked corn kernels, an
apple, and
other foods
• 3 or 4 paper cups, or any small contain-
ers which can be discarded after use.
Next, set up your work area: the kitchen
table (make sure to ask a parent for his
or her permission), the desk in your room
or any place where you can work undis-
turbed.
Label 3 of your cups: clean, ush, and
waste. Fill the ush cup with clean wa-
ter. Next, you will obtain a specimen and
make your rst slide.
Want to See Crystals?
Use the measuring cup to measure one or
two ounces of hot (but not boiling) water
and pour it into the clean cup. Slowly add
as much table salt to the water as will dis-
solve. Stir the solution with the stirring rod
(C, Fig. 1) while adding the salt. Use the
needle (B, Fig. 1) to carefully place one or
two drops of the salt solution onto a clean
slide (Fig. 5).
CAUTION: The needle has a very sharp
point. Always use caution while handling
it. Allow the slide to dry. The slide will dry
covered with a white substance. Place the
slide onto the microscope stage. Rotate
the light source of the microscope until it
turns on. Before reading any further, look
through the microscope eyepiece and
write down what you observe.
TIP: Don’t always assume
that increasing magnication
will produce the best image
for viewing.
Each time you increase in
magnication, the amount
of light decreases, and the
section of the image you are
able to view also decreases.
This is desirable for some
specimens, but not for others.
Experiment observing with
all three objectives for all
specimens until you get a
feel for magnication
Fig. 5: Use the needle to
place a drop of water on a
lean slide.
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If you carefully performed the experiment,
you will see little crystal cubes. A grain of
(storebought)
salt is made up of many cubes. Place
one or two grains of fresh salt on another
blank slide and co pare it with the slide
containing the crystal cubes.
Wash the slides in clean water and liquid
soap.
Rinse well and dry.
Further Crystal Experiments: Try out the
above procedure with other salts such
as Epsom and Rochelle. Sugar will also
crystallize, but you will need to let it dry
overnight for the crystals to form.
Preparing a Mount
Dip your scalpel (A, Fig. 1) in some clean
water and make a smear across a clean
slide. Use your tweezers (F, Fig. 1) to
place a portion of an insect—a wing, a
leg or an antenna—on the slide. Attach a
cover slip (Q, Fig. 1) over the specimen
and place the slide on the microscope
stage.
Obtain a piece of hair from your head and
place it on a wet slide. Try this again with
more than one type of hair (perhaps a
strand of hair from a pet) on a slide and
compare how they differ. Also try a piece
of fern (or other plant) and pollen and
compare them as well.
Fig. 6: Place a cover slip on
the slide.
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Creating Smears
Use your scalpel (A, Fig. 1) to gently scrape off
small shavings from the surface of a freshly cut
potato.
Smear the shavings onto a clean slide. Clean the
scalpel by swishing it in the fresh water. Use your
needle to put one drop of clean water onto the
slide. Attach a cover slip to the slide and place
it on the microscope stage. Observe the slide
and write down your observations. You will see
hundreds of starch grains. Take a few kernels
from an uncooked ear of corn. Scrape off some
shavings and make a smear as you did with the
potato. Compare how the corn is different from
potato. Create smears of other foods such as
apples, bananas, peaches and pineapples. You
will observe that these items have membranes
rather than starch.
Before you make a permanent mount, you may
wish to stain the specimen.
Staining Smears
Not all specimens are easily observed in the
microscope. Staining specimens make them
easier to see. Staining is not difcult, but it does
require care. It is recommended that you keep
paper towels nearby as the process can be
messy.
First, create a fresh smear (you may use
shavings from an apple or other piece of fruit) as
described previously. Do not place any water or
a cover slip on the specimen. Set the slide aside
to dry, if necessary.
When the slide is dry, use the needle to place
one drop of Eosin Dye or Fenazo Blue Dye (M,
L, Fig. 1) on the slide. Both the Eosin and
Fenazo Blue Dye will stain your specimen.
Tilt the slide from side to side to spread the stain
over the specimen. Remove the excess uid to
the waste cup. Put down the slide and wait about
two minutes.
To ush away the excess stain and to stop the
staining action, hold the slide at an angle over
the waste cup. Using the needle, touch the slide
Start thinking like a scientist
as you perform your
experiments.
Observe carefully, take notes
(make sure you date them),
and most importantly, keep
your equipment and the
working environment clean.
Experiments work best with
clean and uncontaminated
equipment.
Parents appreciate a clean
work area.
Note:
In order to stain a slide, you
will need to prepare either the
Eosin Red or Fenazo Blue
Dyes: Without opening the
container, look closely at the
containers marked “Eosin
Dye” and “Fenazo Blue Dye”
(M and L, Fig.
1). You’ll notice a few grains
of ‘dust’ at the bottom of the
container.
These are dried grains of the
dye. Remove the container’s
lid and ll each container with
water. Gently stir the mixture.
You have now prepared the
dye for use.
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just above the specimen area and slowly let the
water drain into the cup.
With a paper towel, pat the underside of the
slide dry. Be very careful and try not to touch the
specimen. Allow the specimen to air dry for sev-
eral minutes.
Some of the specimen will be ushed away, but
enough will remain on the slide to make good
observations.
The Micro-Slicer
Insert specimens you wish to study into the
holes of the micro-slicer (J, Fig. 1). Rotate the
knob to
cut your specimen into thin slices. The Microslic-
er is an ideal tool in the making of section slides.
CAUTION: The blade of the micro-slicer is very
sharp. Handle the micro-slicer with care.
A Simple Section Slide
Section slides are extremely thin slices of tis-
sues of skin, leaves, ower stems and other
materials.
Generally, section slides are very difcult to
make without special equipment and proce-
dures.
However, there is one common household item
which can be sectioned without special equip-
ment: the common onion, made up of layers of
tissue.
Peel off the very thinnest layer you can. One that
is nearly transparent will make an ideal section.
Slice into a piece about 1/4 x 1/4 inch (7 x 7
mm).
Put two drops of Eosin Red Dye or Fenazo Blue
Dye (M, L, Fig. 1) in a collecting vial (E, Fig. 1).
Pick up the piece of onion with your tweezers
and place it in the vial.
Wait for a minute or two. Remove the piece from
the stain and ush it with clean water, holding it
with tweezers over the waste cup. Place it on a
clean slide.
Use your micro-slicer to slice off very thin slices
of other types of foods.
Life Under Glass
Fill a wide mouth jar with fresh water. Let it stand
for three or four days without the lid. Then drop
CAUTION: The blade of the
microslicer is very sharp.
Handle the micro-slicer with
care.
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a handful of dry grass and a pinch or two of dirt
into the jar. Put the cap on the jar and keep it in
a place where it will receive light (but not direct
sunlight).
In about ve days, you may examine the water.
First make a special slide: Using the needle or
stirring rod, make a ring of petroleum jelly on a
clean slide. The ring should be smaller than a
cover slip and be about half as thick as a slide.
Put a drop of water from the jar onto the slide
inside the ring. Use the lowest power of your mi-
croscope and write down your observations.
Did you detect any movement in the water? The
movement is caused by microscopic animals.
Try to focus on one of the animals – this may not
be very easy as a drop of water is like an ocean to
a microscopic creature. If the animals seem to be
moving too fast to study or don’t stay in focus for
very long, soak up a little bit of water with a corner
of a paper towel.
Remember, you can make a specimen slide out
of almost any material. When you are on a play-
ground, at school, in a park, or just sitting around
at home, train yourself to look at all the material
around you. Keep an eye out for what might make
a good specimen and discover the hidden micro-
scopic world that surrounds us all.
Note: Your set contains both glass slips and stati-
cal (thin plastic) slips. Statical slips are thin plastic
sheets that will stick to your slide using static elec-
tricity. They are ideal for temporary slides. Use a
glass slip if you wish to make a permanent slide.
Remember to Turn Off the Light Source
When you are nished observing, be sure to turn
the light source around, if necessary, so that it
turns off and doesn’t wear down the batteries.
Remove the batteries before storing the micro-
scope for a month or longer.
Make a Record of Your Experiments
Begin to start thinking like a scientist as you per-
form your experiments. Observe carefully and
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make records of your experiments (make sure
you date them). Record the types of specimens
you observe; their colors, shapes and patterns;
how they look through each objective; how you
prepare your slides; what tools you use; how dif-
ferent specimens compare with each other; and
so forth.
Experiment observing with all three objectives for
all specimens until you get a feel for magnication
levels.
And most importantly, keep your equipment and
the working environment clean. Experiments work
best with clean and uncontaminated equipment.
Care for Your Equipment
The Bresser 900x Microscope is a precision opti-
cal instrument and, when treated with care, will
provide you with years of use and discovery fun.
• Always carry the microscope with two hands
– one around its arm and one under the base.
• Always remove slides from the stage before put-
ting the microscope away.
• Do not use anything except lens cleaning tissue
to clean the lenses.
• Never touch a slide with the objective lenses of
the turret.
• Remove the batteries before storing the micro-
scope for a month or longer.
Remember, you can make
a specimen slide out of
almost any material.
When you are on a
playground, at school, in a
park, or just sitting around at
home, train yourself to look
at all the material around
you. Keep an eye out for
what might make a good
specimen and discover the
hidden microscopic world
that surrounds us all.
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DISPOSAL
Dispose of the packaging materials properly,
according to their type (paper, cardboard, etc).
Contact your local waste disposal service or
environmental authority for information on the
proper disposal.
Please take the current legal regulations into
account when disposing of your device. You
can get more information on the proper dis-
posal from your local waste disposal service
or environmental authority.
Customer Service Questions:
1-866-252-3811
or
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