Spectrum Analysis in Its Application to Terrestrial Substances, and the Physical Constitution of the Heavenly Bodies (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

Heinrich Schellen

 
9780282585815: Spectrum Analysis in Its Application to Terrestrial Substances, and the Physical Constitution of the Heavenly Bodies (Classic Reprint)

Synopsis

This book, a detailed scientific analysis of light and its properties, perfectly summarizes the state of knowledge in the field as of the late 19th-century. The author discusses the various theories of light's nature, including the wave theory, and draws interesting parallels between light and sound. The author also explores the phenomena of refraction, reflection, and diffraction and argues that the last of these reveals light to be composed of multiple distinct wave-lengths. This distinction between colors was previously only theorized and the author provides detailed explanations of the way that light can be broken down into its component colors via a prism. In doing so the author also describes how a prism can be used to identify the composition of substances based on the spectrum of colors they produce. The author concludes that each element has its own distinct and recognizable spectrum, even when mixed with other elements, and that the detection of an element in a substance can be definitively confirmed by matching the spectrum to a known standard.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title