Opticks : $b or, A treatise of the reflections, refractions, inflections and colours of lightNewton, Isaac
Science
Opticks : $b or, A treatise of the reflections, refractions, inflections and colours of light
Newton, Isaac
Optics -- Early works to 1800
When the distance between the incident and reflected beams of Light
became a little bigger, there emerged out of the middle of the dark Spot
after the indigo a blue, and then out of that blue a pale green, and
soon after a yellow and red. And when the Colour at the center was
brightest, being between yellow and red, the bright Rings were grown
equal to those Rings which in the four first Observations next
encompassed them; that is to say, the white Spot in the middle of those
Rings was now become a white Ring equal to the first of those bright
Rings, and the first of those bright ones was now become equal to the
second of those, and so on. For the Diameters of the white Ring, and of
the other luminous Rings encompassing it, were now 1-11/16, 2-3/8,
2-11/12, 3-3/8, &c. or thereabouts.
When the distance of the two beams of Light at the Chart was a little
more increased, there emerged out of the middle in order after the red,
a purple, a blue, a green, a yellow, and a red inclining much to purple,
and when the Colour was brightest being between yellow and red, the
former indigo, blue, green, yellow and red, were become an Iris or Ring
of Colours equal to the first of those luminous Rings which appeared in
the four first Observations, and the white Ring which was now become
the second of the luminous Rings was grown equal to the second of those,
and the first of those which was now become the third Ring was become
equal to the third of those, and so on. For their Diameters were
1-11/16, 2-3/8, 2-11/12, 3-3/8 Inches, the distance of the two beams of
Light, and the Diameter of the white Ring being 2-3/8 Inches.
When these two beams became more distant there emerged out of the middle
of the purplish red, first a darker round Spot, and then out of the
middle of that Spot a brighter. And now the former Colours (purple,
blue, green, yellow, and purplish red) were become a Ring equal to the
first of the bright Rings mentioned in the four first Observations, and
the Rings about this Ring were grown equal to the Rings about that
respectively; the distance between the two beams of Light and the
Diameter of the white Ring (which was now become the third Ring) being
about 3 Inches.
The Colours of the Rings in the middle began now to grow very dilute,
and if the distance between the two Beams was increased half an Inch, or
an Inch more, they vanish'd whilst the white Ring, with one or two of
the Rings next it on either side, continued still visible. But if the
distance of the two beams of Light was still more increased, these also
vanished: For the Light which coming from several parts of the hole in
the Window fell upon the Speculum in several Angles of Incidence, made
Rings of several bignesses, which diluted and blotted out one another,
as I knew by intercepting some part of that Light. For if I intercepted
that part which was nearest to the Axis of the Speculum the Rings would
be less, if the other part which was remotest from it they would be
bigger.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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