Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Microscopes - Polarizing Microscopes

Polarizing Microscopes
A polarizing microscope is a scientific instrument used to make optical measurements. Polarizing microscope is a special kind of microscope that utilizes two polarizing lens to acquire data from the specimen. The polarizing microscope is used extensively in the field of optical mineralogy which supports such applications as geology, asbestos testing, and forensic science. Often those working in different fields will sometimes refer to the polarizing microscope by different names such as geology microscope, petrographic microscope and pol microscope.

Polarizing microscopes can be used to measure various optical properties of a material, including linear birefringence, circular birefringence, linear dichroism, circular dichroism and scattering. To measure these various properties, there have been many designs of polarimeters. Some are archaic and some are in current use.

The key difference between the polarizing microscope and a standard compound microscope is the addition of a fixed polarizer between the light source and the specimen and the addition of an adjustable polarizer between the objective and the eyepieces. The second polarizer is called the "analyzer" and usually can be inserted in and out on a rotating piece in the neck of the microscope. Other common accessories include a rotating stage and insert able retardation plates made from gypsum or quartz.

The first use of these kinds of microscopes over one hundred years ago was for the identification of minerals in geology. In addition, the most common form of lab analysis to test for asbestos is performed with a polarizing microscope. Because of their ability to provide optical data, these kinds of microscopes are very commonly used in forensic science where the identification of unknown materials is a routine part of the job.

The polarizing microscope is a very versatile and powerful instrument in the identification of materials and provides the very accurate results. It is a key tool in several scientific fields, and can sometimes be the best option over more expensive technologies. The polarizing microscope is a very cost effective instrument for research and analysis industry and you can buy it online through our webstie e-store.

Author Name: Kathy Brasch : Nationalmicroscope.com

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