
Considerations of M.<sup>r<sup> Hook upon M.<sup>r<sup> Newton's Discourse of Light and Colours. I have perused Discourse of M.<sup>r<sup> Newton about Colours and Re= fractions and I was not a little pleased with the nicenesse and curiosity of his observations. But though I wholly agree with him as to the truth of those he hath alleged, as having by many hundreds of tryalls found them soe; yet as to his Hypothesis of Solving the Phenomena of Colours thereby, I confesse I cannot see yet any undeniable Argument to convince me of the cer= tainty thereof. For, all the Experiments and observations I have hitherto made, may and even those very Experiments, which he alledgeth, do seem to me to prove, that <u>White</u> is nothing, but a pulse or motion, propogated through an homogenious uniforme and transparent medium: And that Colour is nothing but the disturbance of that Light by the communication of that pulse to other transparent mediums, that is, by the Refraction thereof. That <u>Whitenesse</u> and <u>Blacknesse</u> are nothing but the plenty or scarcity of the undisturbed rays of Light, and that the two Colours(than the which there are not more uncompounded in nature) are nothing but the effects of a compounded pulse, or disturbed propagation of motion caused by Refraction. But how certain soever I think my self of my Hypothesis (which I did not take up without trying some hundreds of Experiments) yet I should be very glad to meet with one <u>Experimentum Crucis</u> from M.<sup>r<sup> Newton that should divorce me from it. But it is not that which he so calls will do the turne; for the same Phenomenon will be solved by my Hypothesis, as well as by his, without any manner of difficulty or straining; may I will undertake to shew another Hypothesis, differing from both his and mine, that shall do this same thing. That the Ray of Light is as twere split or rarified by Refraction,
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Manuscript details
- Author
- Robert Hooke
- Reference
- RBO/4/45
- Series
- RBO
- Date
- 1672
- IIIF
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Cite as
Considerations of Mr. Hook upon Mr. Newton's Discourse of Light and Colours, 1672. From The Royal Society, RBO/4/45
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