
its opposite side, and at last coinciding nearly in direction with the former portion; that, accordingly as both portions deviated more from a rectilinear direction, the difference of the length of their paths would become gradually greater and greater, and would consequently produce the appearances of colour usual in such cases; that, supposing them to be inflected at right angles, the difference would amount nearly to the diameter of the fibre, and that this difference must consequently be smaller as the fibre became smaller, and, the number of fringes in a right angle becoming <s>fewer<s> smaller, that their angular distances would consequently become greater, and the whole appearance would be dilated. It was easy to calculate, that for the light least inflected, the difference of the paths would be to the diameter of the fibre, very nearly as the deviation of the ray, at any point, from the rectilinear direction, to its distance from the fibre. MDCCCII 3E 389 I therefore made a rectangular hole in a card, and bent its ends so as to support a hair parallel to the sides of the hole: then, upon applying the eye near the hole, the hair of course appeared dilated by indistinct vision into a surface, of which the breadth was determined by the distance of the hair and the magni- tude of the hole, independently of the temporary aperture of the pupil.
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Manuscript details
- Author
- Thomas Young
- Reference
- L&P/12/32
- Series
- L&P
- Date
- 1800
- IIIF
-
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Cite as
An Account of Some Cases of the Production ofColours, Not Hitherto Described. Thomas Young., 1800. From The Royal Society, L&P/12/32
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