The amount of bending light undergoes when passing through a mineral depends on )2

.a) the refractive index of the gem or mineral

.b) the wavelength (color) of the light
d) all of the above

Dispersion is )3

.a) a phenomenon that produces play-of-color

.b) an optical property that can be measured with a refractometer
.c) related to the difference in the speed of red and blue light in a gem or mineral
.d) something that only occurs in anisotropic materials
e) c and b

A polariscope tests for )4

.a) dispersion
.b) diffraction
.c) absolute refractive index
d) none of the above

A refractometer can be used to measure )5

.a) refractive index

.b) birefringence
.c) optic sign
.d) pleochroism
e) a, b and c

A dichroscope is used to check for )6

a) play-of-color
b) pleochroism
c) asterism
d) dispersion
e) birefringence

The refractive index of a substance describes )8

.a) how strongly light is bent by the substance

.b) whether a substance can polarize light
.c) whether a substance can split light into two plane polarized rays
.d) the amount of diffraction occurring within a substance
.e) all of the above

Optically anisotropic minerals differ from isotropic minerals by )9

1
.a) having low critical angles
.b) being able to polarize light
.c) having high critical angles
.d) being fluorescent in ultraviolet light
.e) none of the above

Light that travels through an anisotropic material is always )11

a) split into 2 rays

b) polarized
c) doubly refracted
d) diffracted
e) none of the above

Light that travels through an isotropic material is always )12

a) split into 2 rays

b) polarized
c) doubly refracted
d) diffracted
e) none of the above

A gem that looks black every 90o of rotation in a polariscope must be )13

a) anisotropic
b) isotropic
c) monoclinic or triclinic
d) hexagonal or tetragonal
e) none of the above

An optic axis is defined as a unique direction in a mineral along which light traveling )14

a) will be split into two rays

b) will be polarized into two directions
c) will pass through without being split or polarized
d) will be most strongly absorbed
e) none of the above

A mineral that is trichroic must )15

a) be isotropic
.b) be isometric (cubic)
.c) be triclinic
.d) in some orientations blink from dark to light when rotated in a polariscope
.e) none of the above

2
A pleochroic mineral must always be )16

.a) isotropic
.b) anisotropic
.c) hexagonal
.d) tetragonal
.e) none of the above

Double refraction is visible in some gems as )18

.a) dispersion
.b) a doubling of pavilion facet junctions when viewed through the table
.c) oriented inclusions
d) total internal reflection
e) none of the above

A gem that is dichroic will )19

.a) have one or two optic axes

.b) have more than one refractive index
.c) be anisotropic
d) be a member of the hexagonal, tetragonal, monoclinic, triclinic or orthorhombic
.crystal system
.e) all of the above

A transparent material will only refract light if )20

a) it is anisotropic
b) it has a birefringence
c) it can polarize light
d) the light enters at greater than 0o to the normal
e) all of the above

The flashes of color that are characteristic of a diamonds brilliance are caused by )22

a) birefringence
b) anisotropism
c) dispersion
d) double refraction
e) total internal reflection

Pleochroism is possible in gems of the )25

3
a) hexagonal system
b) triclinic system
c) monoclinic system
d) tetragonal system
e) all of the above

.Answer the following questions True or False

.Minerals of the isometric (cubic) crystal system are always optically isotropic _ __ )26

A crystal that has a different refractive index depending on how it is oriented on the __ __ )27
.polariscope must be isometric

A crystal with a high extinctionl angle will appear more brilliant than one with a low _ __ )28
.angle

.The ordinary and extraordinary rays in a uniaxial mineral are plane polarized __ _ )30

The c axis in an isometric (cubic) gem is the direction along which light traveling __ __ )31
.will not show double refraction

A refractometer can be used to measure refractive indices of any polished gem or __ __ )32
.mineral

A ruby has been faceted so its optic axis is perpendicular to the table facet. When __ __ )33
placed table down in a polariscope and rotated about its optic axis, it will remain dark when
.rotated

Uniaxial minerals with positive (+) optic signs have extraordinary rays that travel __ __ )34
.slower than ordinary rays

.Minerals that have high critical angles have low refractive indices __ __ )35

Minerals that are hexagonal have a single optic axis, have two refractive indices, __ __ )36
.can be dichroic, and are anisotropic

Because both diamond and glass are isometric, an easy way to tell them apart is by __ __ )38
.testing them in a polariscope

.An optically positive mineral must have a birefringence_ __ )39

.Light travels faster in minerals with higher R.I.s than in ones with lower R.I.s __ __ )40

In uniaxial positive minerals, the ordinary ray (ω) is the fast ray and the extraordinary ray (ε)
.is the slow ray

In uniaxial negative minerals, the extraordinary ray (ε) is the fast ray and the ordinary ray (ω)
.is the slow ray

4
Extinction occurs when one vibration direction of a mineral is parallel with the lower
.polarizer

Parallel Extinction = The mineral grain is extinct when the cleavage or length is aligned with
.one of the crosshairs

Inclined Extinction = The mineral is extinct when the cleavage is at an angle to the crosshairs

A8 -The sketch to the right is of an interference figure obtained from an unknown mineral. Is this
:mineral

a) Uniaxial b) Biaxial with small 2V c) Biaxial with large 2V

When viewed in crossed polars with a petrographic (or polarized) microscope, anisotropic )9
minerals will appear black (i.e. be in an extinction position) every 90˚ during rotation of the sample
:stage when

a) Viewed along the crystal’s optic axis. b)The difference in refractive index between the fast
and slow rays is zero. c) The vibration directions in the crystal coincide with
.the directions of polarization for  the microscope. d) The mineral is uniaxial

A17) The accompanying diagram to the right illustrates the indicatrix for a uniaxial mineral. Is this
..…………………………………… ?mineral optically positive or negative

:Give the names of minerals with the following formulae .1

2Si2O6)Mg,Fe(

CaAl2Si2O8

5
Mg2SiO4

The majority of rock-forming silicate minerals can be grouped according to the polymerisation of .2
:SiO4-tetrahedra into

A: Single SiO4-group minerals B: Group silicates C: Ring silicates D: Single chain

silicates E: Double chain silicates F: Sheet silicates G: Framework silicates

:Place the following minerals in the right category by writing the appropriate letter beside them -3

a) amphiboles

b) micas

c) pyroxenoids

d) olivine

e) quartz

:Which of these statements about olivine is incorrect

a) Olivine exhibits close to ideal solid solution between two end-members

b) The olivine structure consists of isolated silica tetrahedra

c) Olivine reacts with water to form serpentine minerals

d) Olivine is a cubic mineral with the space group Fd3m

?Which of the following phenomena proves the transverse characteristics of light . -1

a) Interference
b) Dispersion
c) Polarization
-At polarization angle the angle between reflected ray and refracted ray is 2

a) 900

b) 450

c) 1800

if the velocities of E-ray and O-ray are ve and v0 respectively, then, it has been seen that inside the
positive crystal

a) ve > v0

6
b) ve = v0

c) ve < v0

if the velocities of E-ray and O-ray are ve and v0 respectively, then, it has been seen that inside the
negative crystal

a) ve > v0

b) ve = v0

c) ve < v0

if the refractive indices of of E-ray and O-ray are µe and µ0 respectively, then, it has been seen
that inside the positive crystal

a) µe > µ0

b) µe = µ0

c) µe < µ0

if the refractive indices of of E-ray and O-ray are µe and µ0 respectively, then, it has been seen
that inside the negative crystal

a) µe > µ0

b) µe = µ0

c) µe < µ0

the action of Nicol prism is based on

a) scattering

b) double refraction

c) reflection

nicol prism is based on

a) calcite crystal

b) quartz crystal

c) none of them

In a nicol prism, the O-ray is totally internally reflected but E-ray is transmitted. The statement is

a) True

7
b) False

c) Partially true

When an unpolarized ray fall on a Nicol prism, the emergent ray from it is

a) Plane polarized E-ray

b) Plane polarized o-ray

c) Circularly polarized E-ray

Light produced by a Nicol prism is

a) Plane polarized

b) Elliptically polarized

c) Circularly polarized

1) The amount of bending light undergoes when passing through a gem or mineral depends on
a) the angle at which it enters.
b) the refractive index of the gem or mineral.
c) the wavelength (color) of the light.
d) all of the above
e) b and c
3) Dispersion is
a) a phenomenon that produces play-of-color.
b) an optical property that can be measured with a refractometer.
c) related to the difference in the speed of red and blue light in a gem or mineral.
d) something that only occurs in anisotropic materials.
e) c and b
4) A polariscope tests for
a) dispersion.
b) diffraction.
c) refractive index.
d) the presence of chromophores.
e) none of the above
5) A refractometer can be used to measure
a) refractive index.
b) birefringence.
c) optic sign.
d) pleochroism.
e) a, b and c
8) The refractive index of a substance describes

8
a) how strongly light is bent by the substance.
b) whether a substance can polarize light.
c) whether a substance can split light into two plane polarized rays.
d) the amount of diffraction occurring within a substance.
e) all of the above.
11) Light that travels through an anisotropic material is always
a) split into 2 rays
b) polarized
c) doubly refracted
d) diffracted
e) none of the above
12) Light that travels through an isotropic material is always
a) split into 2 rays
b) polarized
c) doubly refracted
d) diffracted
e) none of the above
13) A mineral that looks black every 90o of rotation in a polariscope must be
a) anisotropic
b) isotropic
c) monoclinic or triclinic
d) hexagonal or tetragonal
e) none of the above

14) An optic axis is defined as a unique direction in a mineral along which light traveling
a) will be split into two rays
b) will be polarized into two directions
c) will pass through without being split or polarized
d) will be most strongly absorbed
e) none of the above
15) A mineral that is trichroic must
a) be isotropic
b) be isometric (cubic).
c) be triclinic.
d) in some orientations blink from dark to light when rotated in a polariscope.
e) none of the above.
16) A pleochroic mineral must always be
a) isotropic.
b) anisotropic.
c) hexagonal.
d) tetragonal.
e) none of the above.
19) A gem that is dichroic will
a) have one or two optic axes.
b) have more than one refractive index.
c) be anisotropic.
d) be a member of the hexagonal, tetragonal, monoclinic, triclinic or orthorhombic

9
crystal system.
e) all of the above.

4 Most Common in Earth as a

Whole:
What are the 4 most common
Fe, O, Si, Mg
elements in the Earth as a whole and
the 8 most common elements in the
8 Most Common in the Earth’s
Earth’s crust?
Crust:
O, Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Na, K, Mg

Most of the iron in the Earth as a

whole is contained in the Core
How and why does the percentage of
(34.6%), while only 5% is contained
iron vary from the whole Earth to the
in the Earth’s Crust. The Crust
crust?
mostly consists of a “sea of
Oxygen”.

Groups of minerals that are

classified by their crystal structure or What is a mineral group?
chemical composition.

A single mineral that has unique

What is a mineral species?
chemical and physical properties.

Minerals that have end member

mineral species with intermediate
What is a mineral series?
compositions.
I.e. Forsterite the Fayalite

Exsolution is segregation, during

cooling, of a homogeneous solid What is mineral exsolution and why
solution into two or more different does it occur?
solids.

Minerals that have different crystal

structures but same chemical
What are mineral polymorphs?
composition.
I.e. Calcite = Aragonite

Minerals that have the same type of What are isostructural minerals?

10
crystalline structure.

- Why are feldspars the most common silicate group in the crust?

- From this figure

a- is
…………………………………………
……………

b-
………………………………………is
..……………

-c
…………………………………………
.……………

-d
…………………………………………
……………

1- The accompanying diagram illustrates the indicatrix for a uniaxial mineral.

11
A) What crystal systems display this type
of optics?
B) What is the sign of the indicatrix
C) What is another name for the C-axis? D)
Is light vibrating in the ω direction the fast
or slow ray?

12