With just a few more cents investment, you can create a polarized light microscope from an ordinary microscope. Basically, the microscope mirror is replaced with a polarizer and analyzer. The microscope is still focused in an ordinary way but you should be able to observe dark fields in certain position, of which the general rule is that the darker said fields are, the better the microscope.

Benefits

With a polarized light microscope, you are able to witness the magnificent and astonishing displays of variegated color effects of even the simplest of minerals. Plus, you are better able to identify the delineations in the structure of your specimens with polarized light. This is possible because of the process of interference, which can be simplified as the color rings seen when lubricating oil is mixed with water.

Simple Construction

You only need an ordinary ability and ordinary tools to transform an ordinary microscope into a polarized microscope. You will also need the following materials:

* Three glass photographic plates 9 by 12 cm.
* A length of threaded brass rod and a nut to fit
* A stiff piece of copper wire
* A small brass hinge
* A few thin plate and strip brass
* Some small brass machine and wood screws
* A spiral steel or brass spring to surround the threaded brass rod
* A revolving stage

You can find detailed instructions over the Internet or you can ask the microscope technician to help you in this matter. You should not have too much of a difficult time in making a polarized light microscope if you know how to follow assembly instructions.

Things to Study

The wide range of things to study under polarized light makes the effort of transforming an ordinary microscope into a polarized light microscope well worth it. You can study minerals, crystals and organic substances in a whole new different light, literally and figuratively.

For starters, you can take very thin pieces of mica stacked one on top of the other. You should place them on the revolving stage, which will produce a spectacular series of color effects once the eyepiece and the stage are revolved. For best results, remove the condenser's top lens and use the 4X eyepiece with a 10X objective.

Also, you may use a piece of asbestos with its grain placed lengthwise on the slide. You will be able to see beautiful parallel rods of color hues unlike any other. You can also study under the polarized light microscope sugars, aspirin and copper sulphate as well as horns, feather quills, fish scales and fish eyes, grated raw potato and even animal bladder sections, to name few substances.

You can also use this modified microscope to detect the strains in mounted lenses and optical glasses, spot fakes and imitations of semiprecious stones, categorize sugar groups, identify textiles, and examine cell and tissue structure. Indeed, with such a wide range of uses, it is a wise decision to make your very own polarized light microscope.

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