Unpublished paper, 'Further experiments and observations on the properties of light' by Henry Peter Brougham

Description

Brougham considers that Sir Isaac Newton’s experiments to prove that the fringes formed by inflexion and bordering the shadows of all bodies, are of different breadths when formed by the homogeneous rays of different kinds, are the foundation of his theory, and would be perfectly conclusive if the different rays were equally bent out of their course by inflexion, for in that case the line joining the centres of the fringes on opposite sides of the shadow being, as he found them, of different lengths, the fringes must be of different breadths. Brougham details a series of experiments on light and shares his observations.

Annotations in ink throughout. Includes five pages of figures relating to experiments on the properties of light, including fringe patterns. Preceded by a covering letter.

Subject: Optics

Received 9 May 1853. Read 24 November 1853.

Whilst the Royal Society declined to publish this paper in full, an abstract of the paper was published in volume 6 of Abstracts of the Papers Printed in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London [later Proceedings of the Royal Society] as 'Further experiments and observations on the properties of light'.

Reference number

AP/34/4

Earliest possible date

1853

Physical description

Ink on paper

Page extent

94 pages

Format

Drawing
Manuscript