A microscope is:

Question

A microscope is:

1. A. An instrument to view small objects by magnifying them. (Correct answer)
2. B. An instrument to view big objects by magnifying them.
3. C. An instrument to view small objects by keeping them at a distance.
4. D. None of the above

Correct Answer

Option A — An instrument to view small objects by magnifying them.

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is An instrument to view small objects by magnifying them.

Key Points

• A microscope magnifies small, nearby objects that the unaided eye cannot resolve.
• A telescope, by contrast, is used for distant objects — the distinction the distractors are built on.

Additional Information

• A compound microscope uses two lens systems: the objective near the specimen and the eyepiece near the eye; total magnification is the product of the two.
• Light microscopes magnify up to about 1,500×, while an electron microscope reaches magnifications in the millions and revealed cell organelles for the first time.
• The microscope was developed by Zacharias Janssen, and Anton van Leeuwenhoek improved it enough to observe bacteria.