William Nicol (geologist)

William Nicol (* around 1768 in Humbie East Lothian in Scotland, † September 2, 1851 in Edinburgh ) was a British physicist.

Nicol worked as a physics teacher in Edinburgh. He led by microscopic examinations of thin sections of crystals and fossil wood as well as studies of polarized light.

In 1828 he invented the - named after him - Nicol prism, a polarizing prism with a cut-up and calcite with Canada balsam. In addition, he still dealt with the microscopic structure of the various types of petrified wood.

Dedication

The seamounts on Earth's Moon Dorsum Nicol is named after him.