Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.14373

    Observations on theory of light and colours

    Date
    20 January 1676
    Creator
    Unknown, Artist
    After
    Isaac Newton (1642 - 1727, British) , Natural philosopher
    Object type
    Archive reference number
    Manuscript page number
    p102
    Material
    Dimensions
    height (page): 363mm
    width (page): 225mm
    Subject
    Description
    This drawing shows 'how the colours of the 4 & 18th observations are produced'.

    The paper was read before the Royal Society on 20 January and 3 February 1676, and was subsequently incorporated into Newton's Opticks (1704).
    Object history
    At the meeting of the Royal Society on 20 January 1676, ‘There was also read the beginning of Mr. Newton’s discourse, containing such observations, as conduce the further discoveries for completing his theory of light and colours, especially as to the constitution of natural bodies, on which their colours or transparency depend: in which he describes first the principal of his observations, and then considers and makes uses of them. At this time there were read the first fifteen of those observations as follows’ (Birch 3:272). The text and figures are printed in Birch 3:272-79. The remainder of the paper was read on 3 February 1676. The text and figures are printed in Birch 3:280-95.

    Printed as Fig. 6 on Plate 2 from Book 2 of Isaac Newton, Opticks, or a treatise of the reflections, refractions, inflexions and colours of light (London: 1704).
    Related fellows
    Isaac Newton (1642 - 1727, British) , Natural philosopher
    Associated place
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          > United Kingdom
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