Final answer:
A simple microscope is defined as a single-lens microscope, while a compound microscope, which is a double-lens microscope, uses two lenses for greater magnification and involves a sequential magnification system.
Step-by-step explanation:
A simple microscope is a type of microscope that uses only one lens to focus light from the specimen, making it equivalent to a single-lens microscope. On the other hand, a compound microscope is a type of microscope that is constructed from two convex lenses, where the first lens serves as the eyepiece and the second serves as the objective lens.
In microscopy, we use these instruments to study cells and other small entities that vary in size and are often too small to be seen with the eye. Researchers and students can photograph cells with a microscope, resulting in images known as micrographs. The compound microscope is especially known for its multiple-element system, which allows for greater magnification and clarity. This system works by using each lens sequentially: the image formed by the first lens, the objective, becomes the object for the second lens, the eyepiece. This results in an amplified, although inverted, image of the specimen being viewed.