Treatise on light : $b In which are explained the causes of that which occurs in reflexion, & in refraction and particularly in the strange refraction of Iceland crystalHuygens, Christiaan
Science
Treatise on light : $b In which are explained the causes of that which occurs in reflexion, & in refraction and particularly in the strange refraction of Iceland crystal
Huygens, Christiaan
Refraction, Double; Wave theory of light
To see, consequently, what the refraction will be when the waves of
light pass into a substance in which the movement travels more quickly
than in that from which they emerge (let us again assume the ratio of
3 to 2), it is only necessary to repeat all the same construction and
demonstration which we have just used, merely substituting everywhere
3/2 instead of 2/3. And it will be found by the same reasoning, in
this other figure, that when the piece C of the wave AC shall have
reached the surface AB at B, all the portions of the wave AC will
have advanced as far as BN, so that BC the perpendicular on AC is to
AN the perpendicular on BN as 2 to 3. And there will finally be this
same ratio of 2 to 3 between the Sine of the angle BAD and the Sine of
the angle FAN.
Hence one sees the reciprocal relation of the refractions of the ray
on entering and on leaving one and the same transparent body: namely
that if NA falling on the external surface AB is refracted into the
direction AD, so the ray AD will be refracted on leaving the
transparent body into the direction AN.
[Illustration]
One sees also the reason for a noteworthy accident which happens in
this refraction: which is this, that after a certain obliquity of the
incident ray DA, it begins to be quite unable to penetrate into the
other transparent substance. For if the angle DAQ or CBA is such that
in the triangle ACB, CB is equal to 2/3 of AB, or is greater, then AN
cannot form one side of the triangle ANB, since it becomes equal to or
greater than AB: so that the portion of wave BN cannot be found
anywhere, neither consequently can AN, which ought to be perpendicular
to it. And thus the incident ray DA does not then pierce the surface
AB.
When the ratio of the velocities of the waves is as two to three, as
in our example, which is that which obtains for glass and air, the
angle DAQ must be more than 48 degrees 11 minutes in order that the
ray DA may be able to pass by refraction. And when the ratio of the
velocities is as 3 to 4, as it is very nearly in water and air, this
angle DAQ must exceed 41 degrees 24 minutes. And this accords
perfectly with experiment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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