Certain microscope lab activities will require that you have the knowledge to prepare a wet mount. A wet mount allows you to take a sample of a specimen (even live cells) and view it under the microscope. Wet mounts are simple to make if you follow these steps.

PREPARING A WET MOUNT SLIDE:

1. Using a water dropper bottle*, place 1 drop of water on the center of a     clean slide. Note: If your sample is a liquid, simply place a drop of the     sample instead of the water.

2. With a pair of forceps, place the sample onto the drop of water.

3. Carefully, take a clean cover slip and place it on the edge of the drop. Let     the cover slip fall gently onto the drop, being careful not to trap any air     bubbles. If you trap an air bubble, repeat this step.

4. That's it!