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A Treatise on Optics fr\ ^ fa a itihm 1 &*>•' ' $ National Library of Medicine FOUNDED 1836 Bethesda. Md. U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE TREATISE ON OPTICS. SIR DAVID BREWSTER, LL.D.,F.R.S. L.&E. CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF FRANCE, HONORARY MEMBER OF THE IMPERIAL ACADEMY OF PETERSBURG, AND OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF BERLIN, STOCK- HOLM, COPENHAGEN, GOTTINGEN, &.C. &C. FIRST AMERICAN EDITION WITH AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING AN ELEMENTARY VIEW OF THE APPLICA- TION OF ANALYSIS TO REFLEXION AND REFRACTION, BY A. D. BACHE, A. M. PROFESSOR OF NAT. PHILOS. AND CHEMISTRY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNS1 LVAHIA, ONE OF THE SECRETARIES OF AM. PHILOS. SOC, MEM. ACAD. NAT. SC, HON. MEM. ASSOCIATE SOC. OF NEWPORT, R. I. |3I)iIa&eIpJ)ta : CAREY, LEA, & BLANCHARD—CHESNUT STREET. 1833. /$33 www mm uww of BEltSSDA W. MD- NOTE BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR. Iy object in undertaking the revision of the Treatise a Optics by Dr. Brewster was, principally, to introduce an Appendix, containing such a discussion of the subjects of Reflexion and Refraction, as might adapt the work to use in those of our colleges in which considerable exten. sion is given to the course of Natural Philosophy. In this revision, I have thought it best, without specially calling the attention of the reader to them, to correct such errors as my comparatively limited knowledge of the subject assured me, would not have been passed over by the author in a second Edition. A. D. BACHE. Philadelphia, Jan., 1833. CONTENTS. Introduction Page 11 PART I. ON THE REFLEXION AND REFRACTION OF LIGHT. CATOPTRICS. CHAP. I. Reflexion by Specula and Mirrors 13 Reflexion of Rays from Plane Mirrors 15 Keflexion of Rays from Concave Mirrors 16 Reflexion of Rays from Convex Mirrors 20 CHAP. II. Images formed by Mirrors 22 DIOPTRICS. CHAP. III. Refraction 26 CHAP. IV. Refraction through Prisms and Lenses 31 On the total Reflexion of Light 34 Refraction of Light through Plane Glasses 36 Refraction of Light through Curved Surfaces 37 Refraction of Light through Spheres 38 Refraction of Light through Convex and Concave Surfaces . 40 Refraction of Light through Convex Lenses 41 Refraction of Light through Concave Lenses 44 Refraction of Light through Meniscuses and Concavo-convex Lenses 45 CHAP. V. On the Formation of Images by Lenses, and on their magnifying Power 46 CHAP. VI. Spherical Aberration of Lenses and Mirrors 51 Spherical Aberration of Mirrors 57 On Caustic Curves formed by Reflexion and Refraction 58 A2 D CONTENTS. PART II. PHYSICAL OPTICS. CHAP. VII. 63 On the Colors of Light, and its Decomposition Decomposition of Light by Absorption 67 CHAP. VIII. On the Dispersion of Light 70 CHAP. IX. On the Principle of Achromatic Telescopes 74 CHAP. X. On the Physical Properties of the Spectrum 78 On the Existence of Fixed Lines in the Spectrum ib. On the Illuminating Power of the Spectrum 80 On the Heating Power of the Spectrum 81 On the Chemical Influence of the Spectrum 82 On the Magnetizing Power of the Solar Rays 83 CHAP. XI. On the Inflexion or Diffraction of Light 86 CHAP. XII. On the Colors of Thin Plates 90 Table of the Colors of Thin Plates of Air, Water, and Glass 93 CHAP. XIII. On the Colors of Thick Plates 97 CHAP. XIV. On the Colors of Fibres and grooved Surfaces 101 CHAP. XV. On Fits of Reflexion and Transmission, and on the Interference of Light Ill CHAP. XVI. On the Absorption of Light 120 CHAP. XVII. On the Double Refraction of Light 125 On Crystals with one Axis of Double Refraction 128 On the Law of Double Refraction in Crystals with one Nega- tive Axis 130 . CONTENTS. 7 On the Law of Double Refraction in Crystals with one Posi- tive Axis 132 On Crystals with two Axes of Double Refraction 133 On Crystal? with innumerable Axes of Double Refraction . 134 On Bodies to which Double Refraction may be communicated by Heat, rapid Cooling, Pressure, and Induration 135 On Substances with Circular Double Refraction 136 chap. xvm. On the Polarization of Light 137 On the Polarization of Light by Double Refraction 138 CHAP. XIX. On the Polarization of Light by Reflexion 142 On the Law of the Polarization of Light by Reflexion 146 On the partial Polarization of Light by Reflexion 149 CHAP. XX. 152 On the Polarization of Light by ordinary Refraction CHAP. XXI. 157 On the Colors of Crystallized Plates in Polarized Light CHAP. XXII. 165 On the System of Colored Rings in Crystals with one Axis Polarizing Intensities of Crystals with one Axis 172 chap. xxni. Axes ib. On the Systems of Colored Rings in Crystals with two 179 Polarizing Intensities of Crystals with two Axes CHAP. XXIV. Colors of Interference of Polarized Light.—On the Cause of the l0 - Crystallized Bodies CHAP. XXV 183 On the Polarizing Structure of Analcime CHAP. XXVI. On Circular Polarization ^l b8 Circular Polarization in Fluids Left lb. Crystals which turn the Planes from Right to ib. Crystals which turn the Planes from Left to Right CHAP. XXVII. Metals upon Light 190 On Elliptical Polarization, and on the Action of 191 On Elliptical Polarization Light in the Plane Order in which the Metals polarize most lb- of Reflexion 1 V1U CONTENTS. CHAP. XWIII On the Polarizing Structure produced by Heat, Cold, Compression, Dilatation, and Induration 197 1. Transient Influence of Heat and Cold ib. (1.) Cylinders of Glass witl one positive Axis of Double Refraction ib. (2.) Cylinders of Glass with a negative Axis of Double Refraction 198 (3.) Oval Plates of Glass with two Axes of Double Re- fraction ib (4.) Cubes of Glass with Double Refraction 199 (5.) Rectangular Plates of Glass with Planes of no Double Refraction ib. (6.) Spheres of Glass, &c. with an infinite Number of Axes of Double Refraction 201 (7.) Spheroids of Glass with one Axis of Double Refrac- tion along the Axis of Revolution and two Axes along the Equatorial Diameters ib. (8.) Influence of Heat on regular Crystals 202 2. On the permanent Influence of sudden Cooling ib. 3. On the Influence of Compression and Dilatation 203 4. On the Influence of Induration 205 CHAP. XXIX. Phenomena of Composite or Tesselated Crystals 206 CHAP. XXX On the Dichroism, or Double Color, of Bodies; and the Absorption of Polarized Light 210 Colors of the two Images in Crystals with one Axis 21 Colors of the two Images in Crystals with two Axes 212 General Observatioas on Double Refraction 214 PART III. ON THE APPLICATION OF OPTICAL PRINCIPLES TO THE EXPLANATION OF NATURAL PHENOiUENA. CHAP. XXXI. On unusual Refraction 215 CHAP. XXXII. On the Rainbow 223 CHAP. XXXIII. On Halos, Corona*, Parhelia, and Paraselenne 227 CHAP. XXXIV On the Colors of Natural Bodies 235 CONTENTS. 9 CHAP. XXXV. On the Eye and Vision 240 On the Phenomena and Laws of Vision 243 CHAP. XXXVI. On Accidental Colors and Colored Shadows 254 PART IV. ON OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS. chap, xxxvn. On Plane and Curved Mirrors 261 Kaleidoscope 262 Plane Burning Mirrors 264 Convex and Concave Mirrors 265 Cylindrical Mirrors 266 chap, xxxvni. On Single and Compound Lenses 267 Burning and rilurninating Lenses 268 CHAP. XXXIX. On Simple and Compound Prisms 270 Prismatic Lenses ib. Compound and Variable Prisms 271 Multiplying Glass 273 CHAP. XL. On the Camera Obscura and Camera Lucida 274 Magic Lantern 276 Camera Lucida 277 CHAP. XLI. On Microscopes 279 Single Microscopes ib. Compound Microscopes 283 On Reflecting Microscopes 286 OnTestObjects 287 Rules for Microscopic Observations ib. Solar Microscope 288 CHAP. XLII. On Refracting and Reflecting Telescopes 289 Astronomical Telescope ib. 10 CONTENTS. Terrestrial Telescope 290 Galilean Telescope 2'J1 Gregorian Reflecting Telescope ib. Cassegrainian Telescope 293 Newtonian Telescope 294 Sir William Herschel's Telescope 296 Mr. Kamagc's Telescope 297 CHAP. XLIII. On Achromatic Telescopes 297 On Achromatic Eye-pieces 300 Prism Telescope ;J02 Achromatic Opera Glasses with Single Lenses 304 Mr. Barlow's Achromatic Telescope ib. Achromatic Solar Telescopes with Single Lenses 305 On the Improvement of imperfectly Achromatic Telescopes . 306 NOTES. On the absolute Refractive powers of Bodies 315 Absorptive Power of Water ib. Sir David Brewster's analysis of the Spectrum ib. Melloni's experiments on the heating Powers of the Spectrum 316 Hypothesis of Undulations applied to explain Young's principle of Interference 318 On the translucency of gold leaf 320 Classification of Colored Bodies, by Sir David Brewster ib. Duration of Impressions on the Retina 321 Insensibility of the eyes of certain persons to particular Colors ib. — ; A TREATISE ON OPTICS. INTRODUCTION. signifies to see, is (1). Optics, from a Greek word which that branch of knowledge which treats of the properties of light and of vision, as performed by the human eye. which proceeds (2). Light is an emanation, or something from bodies, and by means of which we are enabled to see them by the eye. All visible bodies may be divided into two classes self-luminous and non-luminous. Self-luminous bodies, such as the stars, flames of all kinds, and bodies which shine by being heated or rubbed, are those which possess in themselves the property of discharging light. Non-luminous bodies are those which have not the power of the discharging light of themselves, but which throw back bodies. One light which falls upon them from self-luminous non-luminous body may receive light from another non-lumi- but every case nous body, and discharge it upon a third ; m self-luminous body. the light must originally come from a room, the form When a lighted candle is brought into a dark proceeds from the of the flame is seen by the light which are seen by the light flame itself; but the objects in the room throw back which they receive from the candle, and again candle does not while other objects, on which the light of the and walls, and thus fall, receive light from the white ceiling become visible to the eye.
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