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Name: Mihaela
Status: student
Age: 30s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 1999-2001
Question:
What would happen if water were accidentally used in place of immersion oil?

If you want to use a microscope's oil immersion lens and place - in the center of the slide - water instead of immersion oil.

Replies:
Water has a different refractive index than oil. It won't bend the light in the same way. Oil bends the light rays toward the lens and makes the image clearer. Water would not concentrate the light as much and probably wouldn't make the image as clear.

K. Van Hoeck


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