You are on page 1of 12

1

1.0 ABSTRACT
This experiment was carried out to determine the types of rock by given the
any rock. This experiment was started by cut the rock by using the rock cutting
machine into 6 mm and clean its surface by using sand paper. The instrument of
cutting the rock can cut any rock to any length what we want. After that, apply the
rock on the microscope slide and attenuate more the rock into 0.8 mm by using the
thin section instruments. Next, Put the sample under a transmitted polarized light
microscope to make the analysis of rocks and mineral. Using the 40x
magnification, 20x magnification, 40x magnification and 4x magnification to
determine the type of rock and minerals. And, this process was called petrography
analysis. We have analyzed that rock was a sandstone. This is because, that rock
have a characteristics of a sandstone such as that rock has a sand on that rock. I
would like concluded that the rock can analyzed by apply that thin section under a
transmitted polarized light microscope to determine the type of rock and minerals.






2

2.0 INTRODUCTION
Rocks and minerals are the building blocks of our planet. They provide with
valuable resources and form the landscape. By studying rocks and minerals we can
more better understand the events that continue and shaped to continue form the
earth. Minerals are naturally occurring chemical compounds that have been formed
by geological processes. Minerals also provide chemicals that are essential for life
on the earth. More rocks are mixture of different minerals. They formed can show
remarkable variations in texture and composition.
Based on optical mineralogy and petrography, a thin section is a laboratory
preparation of a rock, mineral, soil, pottery, bones, or even metal sample for use
with a polarizing petrographic microscopic, electron microscopic and electron
microscopic. Clean the surface of the rock by using the sandpaper. A thin sliver of
rock is cut from the sample with a diamond saw and ground optically flat. It is
mounted on a slide microscopic and then attenuate that sample into 0.8 mm by
using thin section lapping machine. The method involved using the Michel-Lvy
interference colour chart.
When placed on polarizing light microscope, the optical properties of the
minerals in the thin section alter the colour and intensity of the light as seen by the
viewer. As different minerals have different optical properties, most rock forming
minerals can be easily identified.



3

3.0 OBJECTIVES
To determine the rocks and minerals by using a polarize light microscope.
To study the rocks and minerals using a microscope with Cross sections are
useful for the identification of rocks, minerals and ores.
to describe the mineralogy and texture in the individual samples.
To study the rocks and minerals under microscope. Rocks were cut in cross
section before microscopic study.



4.0 THEORY
Petrography as a science began in 1828 when Scottish physicist William
Nicol invented the technique for producing polarized light by cutting a crystal of
Iceland spar, a variety of calcite, into a special prism which become known as the
Nicol prism. The addition of two such prisms to the ordinary microscope converted
the instrument into a polarizing, orpetrographic microscope. Using transmitted
light and Nicol prisms, it was possible to determine the internal crystallographic
character of very tiny mineral grains, greatly advancing the knowledge of a rocks
constituents.
During the 1840s, a development by Henry C. Sorby and others firmly laid
the foundation of petrography. This was a technique to study very thin slices of
rock. A slice of rock was affixed to a microscope slide and then ground so thin that
light could be transmitted through minerals grains that otherwise appeared opaque.
The position of adjoining grains was not disturbed, thus permitting analysis of rock
4

texture. Thin section petrography became the standard method of rock study. Since
textural details contribute greatly to knowledge of the sequence of crystallization
of the various mineral constituents in a rock, petrography progressed into
petrogenesis and ultimately into petrology.
It was in Europe, principally in Germany, that petrography advanced in the
last half of the nineteenth century.
When dealing with unfamiliar types or with rock so fine grained that their
component minerals cannot be determined with the aid of a hand lens, a
microscope is used. Characteristics observed under the microscope include colour,
colour variation underplane polarized light (pleochroism, produced by the lower
Nicol prism, or more recently polarizing films) fracture characteristics of the
grains, refractive index, and optical symmetry. In other word, these characteristics
are sufficient to identify the mineral, and often to quite tightly estimate its major
element composition. The process of identifying minerals under the microscope is
fairly subtle, but also mechanistic it would be possible to develop an
identification key that would allow a computer to do it. The more difficult and
skillful part of optical petrography is identifying the interrelationships between
grains and relating them to features seen in hand specimen at outcrop, or in
mapping.




5


5.0 APPARATUS

1) Rock cutting machine
2) Hot plate
3) Thin section lapping machine
4) Polarized light microscope
5) Glass slide
6) Thermoplastic cement
7) Sand paper






6


6.0 PRODECURES

1) Cut the sample into 6 mm by using the rock cutting machine.
2) Clean the surface of the sample with sand paper
3) Melt the glass slide with the beam heater,then put on the thermoplastic cement
on the glass slide then put the sample on the glass slide.
4) Flatten the sample to it suitable to the glass slide
5) Attenuate the sample to 0.8 mm by using the thin section lapping machine, then
clean the surface sample.
5) Put the sample under a transmitted polarized light microscope.
6) Observe the rock sample by using 4x magnification
7) Snap the picture of the result rock sample
8) Repeated the method 6 with 10x magnification, 20x magnification and 40x
magnification.




7


7.0 RESULT

4x Magnification 10x Magnification

20x Magnification 40x Magnification






8



8.0 DISCUSSIONS
Based on the result, we can see the color of the rock are grey, and yellow.
From that color we can determine that sample was a sandstone. Other than that, we
can see their texture which is clastic. Next, Their grain size was 0.8 mm. In other
words, we can see their hardness. The other features was gritty to touch (like
sandpaper).
As the result, we can concluded that the sample was sandstone. By the
process of the thin section and petrography. This sandstone was very porous and
water will penetrate it easily. The environment where sandstone components are
deposited determines the nature of sandstone. The size of component grains of rock
or minerals, how the grains are sorted and the structure of the sediment formed are
some of the determinant environmental factors.

9.0 CONCLUSIONS
Based on the result above, which show that the sample shows that the color
was grey and yellow. This is proven by the color show that sample was sandstone.
Next, in the grains size has shown that 0.8 mm. After that, the texture of the
sample was clastic. In other words, the sample of hardness has shown that from
soft to hard. So, the experiment has shown the sample was sandstone. By the
process of petrology.
9



10.0 RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Make sure the sample was cutting more than 5 mm and cut slowly to avoid
that rock from break easily.
2. Make sure the glass slide high melt before put thermoplastic cement and
rock on the glass slide.
3. Make sure attenuate the sample with slowly to avoid from break easily.
4. The view must be clear before observe the sample and take the result.









11.0 REFERENCES

10

1. Geology rocks & minerals, retrieved on October 19, 2014 from
http://flexiblelearning.auckland.ac.nz/rocks_minerals/rocks/sandstone.html.
2. Characteristics of sandstone, retrieved on October 19, 2014 from
http://www.ehow.com/info_8501824_characteristics-sandstone.html.
3. Sandstone: Characteristics, Uses and Problems, retrieved on October 19,
2014 from http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/112582.
4. Thin-Section Petrography, retrieved on October 19, 2014 from
http://www.academia.edu/540662/Thin-
Section_Petrography_of_Stone_and_Ceramic_Cultural_Materials_By_Chan
dra_Reedy._Pp._256_and_CD-
ROM._ISBN_978_1_9049_8233_3_London_.
5. Geology and Drilling Laboratory Manual (CGE 558), Faculty of Chemical
Engineering, UiTM Shah Alam.









11





12.0 APPENDICES

Glass Slide Rock Cutting Machine

Thermoplastic Cement Thin Section Lapping Machine
12


Polarized Light Microscope

You might also like