How much can a hand magnifying glass magnify an object?

A hand magnifying glass, which functions as a simple microscope, typically provides low-power magnification ranging from approximately 2× to 10×.1

The magnifying power of such a lens is determined by the geometry of the optical system, specifically by dividing the least distance of distinct vision (often considered to be about 25 cm, or 10 inches) by the focal length of the lens. For example, a lens with a 5 cm focal length provides a magnification of about 5×. While simple double convex lenses are generally used for these lower powers, more complex magnifiers—such as those using compound lenses—can achieve higher powers between 10× and 50×. Historically, some early simple microscopes were capable of magnifying up to 300×.21