Prism experiment
Date
13 April 1672
Creator
Unknown, Artist
Object type
Archive reference number
Manuscript page number
vol5 p248
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 302mm
width (page): 175mm
width (page): 175mm
Subject
Content object
Description
A figure by Isaac Newton explaining his prism experiment printed in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, vol. 6, no. 80 (February 1672), p. 3076. This was part of Newton's discussion about varying the conditions of his prism experiment in his letter to Henry Oldenburg dated 13 April 1672. It was printed in Philosophical Transactions, vol. 7, no. 83 (May 1672).
This figure was copied from LBO/5/225.
This figure was copied from LBO/5/225.
Transcription
The long Axes of the two Prisms in the Experiment described in the said page 3076 of the Transactions, were parallel one to another. And for the rest of their position you will best apprehend it by this scheme, where let EG designe the Window, F the hole in it through wch the light arrives at the Prisms; ABC the first prism which refracts the light towards PT, painting there the Colours in an Oblong forme, and ??? the second Prism, wch refracts back again the Rays to Q, where the long Image PT is contracted into a round one. The plane ?? to BC, and ?? to AC I suppose parallel, that the rays may be Equally refracted contrary ways in both Prisms. And the Prisms must be placed very near to one another; for if their distance be so great, that Colours begin to appear in the light before its incidence on the second prism, those colours will not bee destroyd by the Contrary refractions of that Prism.
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
Object history
See woodcut figure for I. Newton, 'Theory of light', Phil. Trans. vol. 7, no. 83 (May 1672), pp. 4060-62 (p. 4061).
Related fellows
Isaac Newton (1642 - 1727, British) , Natural philosopher
Associated place