Petrology utilizes the classical fields of mineralogy, petrography, optical mineralogy, and chemical analyses to describe the composition and texture of rocks. Modern technologists also include the principles of geochemistry and geophysics through the studies of geochemical trends and cycles and the use of thermodynamic data and experiments to better understand the origin of rocks.

We consider the importance of this branch of science, and we see the need to further educate our visitors about this. And to better make them understand all of these, the petrographic microscope is created. A petrographic microscope is a microscope used in petrology and optical mineralogy to identify rocks and minerals in thin sections. This kind of microscope is very helpful in defining the characteristics and the compositions of rocks of different types.

This site is designed to guide our visitors on the uses and the proper care of petrographic microscopes. This site also promotes its importance and significance in the study of rocks. Discover and define rocks better through the http://www.petrographicmicroscopes.com site easily.

What does petrographic microscopy study?
Petrography is one of the branches of petrology that studies rocks and minerals through optical means. This includes the observation of the mineral’s content, structure, composition and textural relationships with the other components included in the rock sample. Although certain rock or mineral characteristics may be observed using a good quality magnifying glass, there are certain structures that cannot be revealed unless petrographic microscopy techniques are used.

Uses of petrographic microscopy
Teaching petrographic microscopy is more effective if the uses of the technique are known. Petrographic microscopy, for example, is an invaluable tool for archaelogists and other geoscientists to identify, examine and analyze rock and mineral samples. There are certain investigative methods that may be used with petrographic microscopy. One is the observation of a sample material’s microscopic characteristics, something that is quite difficult to achieve without the aid of an optical microscopy instrument. Certain structures, colors and compositions may be too minute or fine-grained in order to be revealed to the naked eye. Once determined, these characteristics can help scientists determine the origin and evolution of the samples, along with other possible practical uses it may contain.

Petrographic microscopy is also used to examine other materials that use rock and mineral components, such as ceramics and pottery. The information is used to determine the link between the artifacts or material to the source areas in certain geological locations. This provides important insights that help scientists and researchers learn about the type of resources used in a certain era and determine whether they are local or non-local. This type of information also helps determine the source of certain materials and artifacts, especially if trade and production are evident in an area of study.

Used with other petrographic evidence and recorded data, petrographic microscopy can also be utilized to produce inferences about an area’s population, groups, mobility, trade network, social contacts and settlement patterns. Ancient or forgotten production techniques may also be inferred based on the evidence presented by artifacts as observed through petrographic microscopes. Temperature, for example, may be determined by observing certain characteristics in pottery samples.

The petrographic microscope
The petrographic microscope is relatively young, having been developed in Germany only in the last few years of the 19th century. However, it did facilitate significant advances in geology and mineralogy. The petrographic microscope is an enlarging device that functions similarly to a standard compound microscope. It allows users to observe the characteristics of a mineral sample using plane polarized light, usually with a transmitted polarized light. Although it declined in popularity in the 1970s, it has remained as one of the most reliable investigative tools for the identification of minerals.

Teaching petrographic microscopy
Teaching petrographic microscopy usually begins with an introduction to basic petrography. Most courses deal with a definition of the field and follow through with the description of rocks and minerals. Systematic classification is also taught, along with the different scientific methods used for the identification of materials. At this stage, petrographic microscopy may be introduced gradually through the use of rock and mineral images taken with the use of optical microscopes.

Certain methods of observation should also be taught, depending on the type of petrographic microscopy instrument used. Electron microscopy, for example, will reveal different characteristics of the mineral and require different measurement techniques compared to polarized light microscopy, a popular optical observation technique used in petrographic microscopy.

Material collection and sampling
A key component of teaching petrographic microscopy is the collection of rock and mineral samples to be used for optical observations. Students must be taught how sample materials should be obtained, the right techniques of collection and which areas of a certain geological location the samples are best taken from. It is also important that the manipulation of materials (such as cutting, grinding and polishing) is taught, unless pre-cut samples are already available. The appropriate thickness (usually 30 microns) of the sample material is also an important factor to be considered.

Teaching petrographic microscopy demands patience and a lot of interest for both teacher and student, primarily because it is a subject that is best taught using hands-on optical observation. However, much information can be derived through the use of this microscopy technique and is still one of the most valuable tools in determining and identifying rock and mineral samples.