Where is the analyzer located in relation to the specimen on a polarizing microscope?

• A. Between the specimen and the eye
• B. Behind the stage
• C. In the objective
• D. At the eyepiece

Answer: (A)

The key idea is where the second polarizer (the analyzer) sits in the light path of a polarizing microscope. Light is first polarized by the polarizer, then passes through the specimen, and after that it goes through the analyzer before reaching your eye. The analyzer must be placed between the specimen and the observer so it can analyze the polarization changes that occur as light passes through the specimen. If the analyzer were located behind the stage, inside the objective, or at the eyepiece, it wouldn’t be in the correct position to analyze the light after it has interacted with the specimen, and the characteristic birefringence effects (such as interference colors and extinction angles) wouldn’t be observed properly. Therefore, the analyzer is positioned between the specimen and the eye.