# Magnification

How many times bigger an image looks than the real object. Worked out with a formula.

Biology (school) · Part 01: Cells · Card 11 of 12 · Last updated 2026-10-19

## Analogy

Zooming in on a photo.

## Example

**Magnification sum**

Magnification = image size / real size
Image is 20 mm, real cell is 0.1 mm
20 / 0.1 = 200
Magnification is x200

## In practice

Scientists use magnification to work out a cell's real size from a microscope picture.

## Practice

### Flashcards

- **What is the formula for magnification?** Magnification = image size divided by real size.

## Questions people ask

### How do you calculate magnification?

Use the formula magnification equals image size divided by real size. Both sizes must be in the same units, so convert millimetres to micrometres first if you need to. If the image of a cell is 10 mm and the cell is 0.05 mm, magnification is 200.

### What is the difference between magnification and resolution?

Magnification is how much bigger the image looks. Resolution is how clearly you can tell two close points apart, in other words how sharp the detail is. Electron microscopes have much higher resolution than light microscopes, so they show tiny structures like ribosomes that a light microscope cannot.

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