What is the formula for calculating magnification?

The formula for calculating magnification is Magnification = Image size / Actual size.

In more detail, magnification is a measure of how much larger or smaller an image appears compared to the actual size of the object being viewed. It is a dimensionless value, meaning it has no units. The formula for calculating magnification is quite straightforward: Magnification equals the size of the image divided by the actual size of the object.

To use this formula, you need to have measurements for both the image size and the actual size. The image size is the size of the image as it appears when viewed, for example, through a microscope or on a photograph. The actual size is the real size of the object being viewed, which may need to be measured directly or obtained from a reference source.

When using this formula, it's important to ensure that both measurements are in the same units. If they're not, you'll need to convert one or both measurements to the same unit before performing the calculation. For example, if the image size is given in millimetres and the actual size is given in centimetres, you would need to convert the actual size to millimetres before dividing.

The result of the calculation will tell you how many times larger (or smaller) the image appears compared to the actual object. A magnification of 1 means the image is the same size as the object. A magnification greater than 1 means the image appears larger than the object, and a magnification less than 1 means the image appears smaller than the object.