Approximately what magnification did Leeuwenhoek's microscope achieve?

• A. Around 300x
• B. Around 100x
• C. Around 500x
• D. Around 200x

Answer: (A)

Leeuwenhoek’s microscopes relied on exceptionally small, single lenses rather than the multi-lens compounds that came later. His lenses achieved strong magnification by being shaped and polished to a very short focal length, allowing him to bring tiny objects into clear view. In practice, the best results from his lenses fall in the few hundred times range, with around 300x being a widely cited approximation. This level was enough to observe bacteria, protozoa, and other microorganisms, which is why his work is famous for revealing an unseen world.

So, the best answer is about three hundred times because his simple lenses consistently produced magnifications in the hundreds rather than tens or hundreds plus, and while some records vary slightly, around 300x is the most commonly accepted figure.