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Incoming links: Nicol prism by National Museums Scotland
William Nicol (geologist) Created 2026-10-31 Updated 2026-11-05
William Nicol developed the Nicol prism, an optical device for producing polarized light. A surviving instrument contains two pieces of calcite joined with Canada balsam, using the crystal's birefringence to separate the optical responses.[ref]
Nicol prism by National Museums Scotland. Collection T.1856.54: construction, maker and polarizing function
Used as a polarizer and analyser in microscopy, such optics make mineral behaviour under polarized light observable. Rotation and transmission changes help distinguish crystalline properties that ordinary illumination conceals. This connects instrument construction with practical mineralogy and petrology.