If you look at a dot on a piece of paper through a calcite crystal lying on the paper,you will see two images of the dot,one of which appears to be nearer to you than the other.From this evidence you can conclude that
A)the beams from both images are polarized.
B)calcite has different indices of refraction for the two beams.
C)there is interference between the two beams.
D)the calcite has increased the resolving power of your eye.
E)the appearance is due to diffraction.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The phenomenon described is known as double refraction, which occurs in calcite due to its different indices of refraction for two polarizations of light. As a result, light passing through the calcite crystal splits into two beams, which travel at different speeds and emerge with slightly different directions. This causes the dot on the paper to appear as two distinct images, one displaced from the other.

If You Look at a Dot on a Piece of Paper