Welcome to Polarized Light Microscopy
Welcome to our website devoted to the exciting field of Polarized Light Microscopy. Our intent of this site is to provide you informative articles and information on equipment for use in Polarized Light Microscopy. The petrographic microscope, as it is often called, is used to view rock and mineral specimens under polarized light. Birefringent specimens will exhibit stunning colorations when subjected to polarized light filters. When these filters are crossed under a condition called cross polarization (also called crossed nicols), characteristics of the mineral specimen can be compared to known characteristics in rock and mineral charts for an accurate identification of the rock or mineral.
The components of a polarized microscope consist of a Bertrand lens, the first polarizing filter called a polarizer, a second polarizing filter called an analyzer, and various compensator plates. The three most common compensator plates are the quartz wedge, gypsum, and mica plates. It is advised to take a course in optical mineralogy such as would be given in a geology course to gain an indepth understanding of the principles of a petrographic microscope and its application of rock and mineral identification. If you have a need for a petrographic microscope for the study of Polarized Light Microscopy, you are encouraged to contact us about our wide selection. We can provide monocular versions, binocular, as well as trinocular polarizing light geological microscopes.
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