The intermediate image formed by the objective of a compound microscope is:
A. real, inverted and magnified
B. real, erect and magnified
C. virtual, erect and magnified
D. virtual, inverted and magnified

Hint: Compound microscope consists mainly of two lens, objective lens and eyepiece lens. Objective lens provides a real image. The eyepiece lens provides an enlarged virtual image.

Complete step by step answer:
The compound microscope uses several lenses to produce a highly magnified image of an object. A compound microscope is an upright microscope that uses two sets of lenses (a compound lens system) to obtain higher magnification.

In a microscope the object is placed in front of the objective lens which produces a real, inverted and magnified object. This image is further magnified by the eye lens to produce a virtual inverted and highly magnified final image. The first image formed by the objective lens is called the intermediate image. Since this real image is formed by a convex lens the image would be real, inverted and magnified.
The correct option is A

Additional Information:
The image formed by a microscope can have chromatic and spherical aberration. To avoid this, a pair of lenses is used instead of the single eye lens. This pair of eye lens is called eye piece.in most of the microscopes one of the lenses of the eyepiece is placed at the position of the intermediate image thus ensuring that the magnification remains same when the errors are corrected.

Note: Also the formation of intermediate images is taken advantage of in case of traveling microscopes and compound microscopes. The cross wires on travelling microscopes are made at the position of the intermediate image so that both of them are properly focused when the image is viewed.