Six Lectures on Light: Delivered In The United States In 1872-1873Tyndall, John
Science
Six Lectures on Light: Delivered In The United States In 1872-1873
Tyndall, John
Light
I now turn the Iceland spar: the needle remains fixed; there is no
alteration of the deflection. Passing the pile rapidly across to the
other mark, the deflection is maintained. Once more I turn the spar,
but now the needle falls to 0°, rising, however, again to 90° after a
rotation of 360°. We know that in the case of light the extraordinary
beam rotates round the ordinary one; and we have here been operating
on the extraordinary heat-beam, which, as regards double refraction,
behaves exactly like a beam of light.
§ 10. _Magnetization of Heat_.
To render our series of comparisons complete, we must demonstrate the
magnetization of heat. But here a slight modification of our
arrangement will be necessary. In repeating Faraday's experiment on
the magnetization of light, we had, in the first instance, our Nicols
crossed and the field rendered dark, a flash of light appearing upon
the screen when the magnet was excited. Now the quantity of light
transmitted in this case is really very small, its effect being
rendered striking through contrast with the preceding darkness. When
we so place the Nicols that their principal sections enclose an angle
of 45°, the excitement of the magnet causes a far greater positive
augmentation of the light, though the augmentation is not so well
_seen_ through lack of contrast, because here, at starting, the field
is illuminated.
In trying to magnetize our beam of heat, we will adopt this
arrangement. Here, however, at the outset, a considerable amount of
heat falls upon one face of the pile. This it is necessary to
neutralize, by permitting rays from another source to fall upon the
opposite face of the pile. The needle is thus brought to zero. Cutting
off the light by our ray-filter, and exciting the magnet, the needle
is instantly deflected, proving that the magnet has opened a door for
the heat, exactly as in Faraday's experiment it opened a door for the
light. Thus, in every case brought under our notice, the substantial
identity of light and radiant heat has been demonstrated.
By the refined experiments of Knoblauch, who worked long and
successfully at this question, the double refraction of heat, by
Iceland spar, was first demonstrated; but, though he employed the
luminous heat of the sun, the observed deflections were exceedingly
small. So, likewise, those eminent investigators De la Povostaye and
Desains succeeded in magnetizing a beam of heat; but though, in their
case also, the luminous solar heat was employed, the deflection
obtained did not amount to more than two or three degrees. With
_obscure_ radiant heat the effect, prior to the experiments now
brought before you, had not been obtained; but, with the arrangement
here described, we obtain deflections from purely invisible heat,
equal to 150 of the lower degrees of the galvanometer.
§ 11. _Distribution of Heat in the Electric Spectrum_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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