The Quarterly Journal of Science, Literature and the Arts, July-December, 1827Various
Science
The Quarterly Journal of Science, Literature and the Arts, July-December, 1827
Various
Arts -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals; Technology -- Periodicals
This will be more easily understood by the inspection of a figure,
which represents a section of the two mirrors and of the reflected
undulations, formed by a plane drawn from the luminous point
perpendicularly to the mirrors represented by DE and DF. The luminous
point is supposed to be S, and A and B are the geometrical positions
of its two images, which are determined by the perpendiculars SA
and SB falling from S on the mirrors, taking in them PA = SP [p132]
and QB = SQ. The points A and B, thus found, are the centres of
divergence of the rays reflected from the respective mirrors,
according to the well known law of reflection. Thus, in order to
have the direction of the ray reflected at any point G of the mirror
DF, for example, it is sufficient to draw a right line through B and
G, which will be the direction of the reflected ray. Now it must be
remarked, that, according to the construction by which the position
of B is found, the distances BG and SG will be equal, and thus the
whole route of the ray coming from S and arriving at _b_, is the
same as if it had come from B. This geometrical truth being equally
applicable to all the rays reflected by the same mirror, it is
obvious that they will arrive at the same instant at all the points
of the circumference _n′bm_, described on the point B as a centre,
with a radius equal to B_b_; consequently this surface will represent
the surface of the reflected undulation when it arrives at _b_, or,
more correctly speaking, its intersection with the plane of the
figure: the surface of the undulation being understood as relating
to the points which are similarly agitated at the same instant: the
points being all, at the commencement of the whole oscillation, for
example, or at the middle or the end, completely at rest; and in the
middle of each semioscillation, possessed of the maximum of velocity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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