We perform static light scattering experiments on a dilute suspension of microgel particles and model the resultant form factors P(q) by assuming an exponentially decaying dielectric permittivity. The result is that P(q) is a Lorentzian function of the scattering wavevector q for length scales greater than the particle size; the width approximately corresponding to twice the particle radius. This simple model reasonably accounts for scattered light from both swollen and shrunken microgel phases. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.