Dr. Somerville tested Morichini’s experiments by covering one-half of an
unmagnetized needle an inch long with a piece of paper, and exposing the
uncovered half to the violet rays of the spectrum, and found that the
needle became magnetic in the course of a couple of hours, the exposed
end being the north pole. The indigo rays produced almost the same
effect, but the blue and green rays were much less powerful. When the
needle was exposed to the yellow, orange, red, and invisible rays beyond
the red, no magnetic effect was produced, although the experiment was
continued for three days. Pieces of chronometer and watch springs were
submitted to the same influences with a similar result; but when the
violet rays were concentrated upon the needles and pieces of spring with
a lens, the time necessary for magnetizing them was greatly reduced.
Baumgartner of Vienna and Christie of Woolwich also repeated these
experiments. The latter philosopher found that when a needle of
magnetized steel, copper, or even glass, vibrated by force of torsion in
the rays of the sun, the arc of vibration diminished much more quickly
than when the experiment was conducted in the shade. The sun’s rays
appeared to have the greatest effect upon the magnetized needle. From
these results Christie concluded that the solar rays were capable of
exerting a certain amount of magnetic influence.
These experiments were afterwards fully confirmed by those of Barlocci
and Zantedeschi. The former found that a natural magnet which was
capable of supporting a pound weight, had its power almost doubled by
exposure to strong sunlight for four-and-twenty hours. Zantedeschi
exposed a magnet which would carry fifteen ounces to the sun for three
days, and increased its power two and a half times. These experiments
seem almost to decide the fact of the power of white and violet light to
induce magnetic force; but a series of researches by a philosopher who
without doubt is greater than any of those already mentioned, seems to
throw some doubt on the facts we have related above.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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