in the direction of the principal axis and at right angles thereto.
Only light vibrating in these two directions can be transmitted through
calcspar; and all incident light propagated by vibrations in a plane
at any other angle to the principal section is resolved into two
such component rays. But the velocities of transmission in the two
directions are unequal, that is, the refractive index of the spar for
the two rays is different. If the analyzing nicol be so adjusted as to
receive the emergent light from the polarizer when the corresponding
planes of the two prisms are coincident when extended, the emergent
extraordinary ray falling into a plane of the same resistance as
that it had just left is propagated through the second nicol with
the same velocity that it passed the first one. It is therefore
similarly refracted. If, however, the two prisms be so arranged that
corresponding planes cross then the extraordinary ray falls into a
plane which it traverses with greater velocity than it had before and
is accordingly refracted and takes the course which ends in total
reflection at the film of balsam. No light therefore can pass through
the prism in that position. If any other substance, as for instance
a solution of sugar, capable of rotating a plane of polarized light,
be interposed between the two nicols the effect produced is the same
as if the analyzer had been turned to a corresponding degree. When
the analyzer is turned to that degree the corresponding planes again
coincide and the light passes. This is the principle on which the
construction of all polarizing instruments is based.[36]
=63. The Polariscope.=—A polariscope for the examination of solutions
of sugar consists essentially of a prism for polarizing the light,
called a nicol, a tube of definite length for holding the sugar
solution, a second nicol made movable on its axis for adjustment to
the degree of rotation and a graduated arc for measuring it. Instead
of having the second nicol movable, many instruments have an adjusting
wedge of quartz of opposite polarizing power to the sugar, by means of
which the displacement produced on the polarized plane is corrected.
A graduated scale and vernier serve to measure the movement of the
wedges and give in certain conditions the desired reading of the
percentage of sugar present. Among the multitude of instruments which
have been devised for analytical purposes, only three will be found
in common use, and the scope of this volume will not allow space
for a description of a greater number. For a practical discussion
of the principles of polarization and their application to optical
saccharimetry, the reader may conveniently refer to the excellent
manuals of Sidersky, Tucker, Landolt, and Wiechmann.[37]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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