Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,761,615,793 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

Iceland spar

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.04 sec.
Iceland spar, colorless variety of crystallized calcite calcite (kăl`sīt), very widely distributed mineral, commonly white or colorless, but appearing in a great variety of colors owing to
..... Click the link for more information. , characterized by its properties of transparency and double refraction. It is used chiefly in the manufacture of Nicol prisms Nicol prism (nĭk`əl), optical device invented (1828) by William Nicol of Edinburgh.
..... Click the link for more information. , which are essential parts of polarizing microscopes and other optical instruments. The principal deposit is in Iceland, but small quantities are found in other countries, including the United States and Mexico.
Iceland spar [′īs·lənd ′spär]
(mineralogy)
A pure, transparent form of calcite found particularly in Iceland; easily cleaved to form rhombohedral crystals that are doubly refracting. Also known as Iceland crystal.


How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
 Email
Feedback
? Mentioned in
 
Encyclopedia browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Encyclopedia
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.