The Poetry of Science; or, Studies of the Physical Phenomena of NatureHunt, Robert
Philosophy
The Poetry of Science; or, Studies of the Physical Phenomena of Nature
Hunt, Robert
Physics; Science
Deep violet 53
Yellowish red (flaked) 53
Purple red (flaked) 51
Vivid red 47
Pale violet 45
Orange red 44
Clear blue 42
Deep yellow 40
Bright yellow 34
Golden yellow 33
Deep blue 33
Apple green 26
Mineral green 23
Very deep blue 19
Translated in the Scientific Memoirs, vol. i. p. 30.
[44] “The physical characters of this species of glass, which acts
so differently from the other species of coloured glass in all the
phenomena of calorific absorption, are, 1st, its intercepting almost
totally the rays which pass through alum; 2nd, its entirely absorbing
the red rays of the solar spectrum. I have already stated that their
colouration is produced almost entirely by the oxide of copper.
“Thus, the colouring matters of the coloured glasses, while they
so powerfully affect the relations of quantity which the different
rays of ordinary light bear to each other, exercise no elective
action on the concomitant calorific rays. This curious phenomenon is
the more remarkable as the colouring matters absorb almost always
a very considerable portion of the heat _naturally transmitted by
the glass_. The following are, in fact, the calorific transmissions
of the seven coloured glasses referred to; the transmission of the
common glass being represented by 100; red glass, 82·5; orange, 72·5;
yellow, 55; bluish-green, 57·5; blue, 52·5; indigo, 30; violet, 85.
The quantity of heat absorbed through the action of the colouring
substances is, therefore, 17·5 in the red glass, 27·5 in the orange,
45 in the yellow, 42·5 in the green, 47·5 in the blue, 70 in the
indigo, and 15 in the violet. Now, as these absorptions extinguish a
proportional part of each of the rays which constitute the calorific
stream transmitted by common glass, they may be compared, as we said
before, with the absorbent action exercised on light by matters more
or less deeply brown or dark, when they are immersed in water, or some
other colourless liquid which dissolves, but does not affect them
chemically.”--_Annales de Chimie et de Physique_, tom. xl. p. 382.
Guided by these principles, the author selected the glass employed in
glazing the Royal Palm-House, at Kew Botanical Gardens, where it was
desired to obstruct the passage of those rays which have a particular
scorching influence. Of this glass a description was given at the
meeting of the British Association at Oxford, which appears in the
Transactions for that year. The result has been all that could be
desired--not a single instance of scorching having occurred during the
three years which have elapsed.
[45] In the _Philosophical Transactions_, vol. xc., the following
papers, by Sir William Herschel, may be consulted:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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