What does iceland spar mean?

Definitions for iceland spar
ice·land spar

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word iceland spar.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. Iceland sparnoun

    a transparent calcite found in Iceland and used in polarizing microscopes

Wiktionary

  1. Iceland sparnoun

    A transparent form of calcite, used to demonstrate the polarisation of light.

Wikipedia

  1. Iceland spar

    Iceland spar, formerly called Iceland crystal (Icelandic: silfurberg [ˈsɪlvʏrˌpɛrk], lit. 'silver-rock') and also called optical calcite, is a transparent variety of calcite, or crystallized calcium carbonate, originally brought from Iceland, and used in demonstrating the polarization of light (see polarimetry). It occurs in large readily cleavable crystals, is easily divisible into parallelepipeds, and is remarkable for its birefringence. This means that the refractive index of the crystal is different for light of different polarization. A ray of unpolarized light passing through the crystal is divided into two rays of perpendicular polarization directed at different angles. This double refraction causes objects seen through the crystal to appear doubled. Historically, the double-refraction property of this crystal was important to understanding the nature of light as a wave. This was studied at length by Christiaan Huygens and Isaac Newton. Sir George Stokes also studied the phenomenon. Its complete explanation in terms of light polarization was published by Augustin-Jean Fresnel in the 1820s.Mines producing Iceland spar include many mines producing related calcite and aragonite as well as those famously in Iceland, productively in the greater Sonoran Desert region as in Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico and New Mexico, United States, as well as in China. The clearest specimens, as well as the largest, have been from the Helgustadir mine in Iceland.

ChatGPT

  1. iceland spar

    Iceland Spar is a transparent and colorless variety of calcite (a type of calcium carbonate), which is a common mineral. It is known for its property of double refraction, which means that light entering the crystal is split into two beams that travel in different paths and at different speeds, causing objects viewed through the crystal to appear as double images. This optical property is utilized in various optical instruments. The name "Iceland Spar" originates from Helgustadir in Iceland, where large deposits were found in the 17th century.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Iceland spar

    a transparent variety of calcite, the best of which is obtained in Iceland. It is used for the prisms of the polariscope, because of its strong double refraction. Cf. Calcite

Wikidata

  1. Iceland spar

    Iceland spar, formerly known as Iceland crystal, is a transparent variety of calcite, or crystallized calcium carbonate, originally brought from Iceland, and used in demonstrating the polarization of light. It occurs in large readily cleavable crystals, easily divisible into rhombs, and is remarkable for its double refraction. Historically, the phenomena of this crystal were studied at length by Christiaan Huygens and Isaac Newton. Sir George Stokes also studied the phenomenon. Mines producing Iceland spar include many mines producing related calcite and aragonite as well as those famously in Iceland, productively in the greater Sonoran desert region as in Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico and New Mexico, United States, as well as in the People's Republic of China.

Matched Categories

How to pronounce iceland spar?

How to say iceland spar in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of iceland spar in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of iceland spar in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Translation

Find a translation for the iceland spar definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"iceland spar." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/iceland+spar>.

Discuss these iceland spar definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for iceland spar? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    iceland spar

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    small cat-like predatory mammals of warmer parts of the Old World
    A substrate
    B fervidness
    C nidus
    D viverrine

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for iceland spar: