Refraction—Astronomical Refraction and its Laws—Formation of Tables of Refraction—Terrestrial Refraction—Its Quantity—Instances of Extraordinary Refraction—Reflection—Instances of Extraordinary Reflection—Loss of Light by the Absorbing Power of the Atmosphere—Apparent Magnitude of Sun and Moon in the Horizon
SECTION XIX.
Constitution of Light according to Sir Isaac Newton—Absorption of Light—Colours of Bodies—Constitution of Light according to Sir David Brewster—New Colours—Fraunhofer’s Dark Lines—Dispersion of Light—The Achromatic Telescope—Homogeneous Light—Accidental and Complementary Colours—M. Plateau’s Experiments and Theory of Accidental Colours
SECTION XX.
Interference of Light—Undulatory Theory of Light—Propagation of Light—Newton’s Rings—Measurement of the Length of the Waves of Light, and of the Frequency of the Vibrations of Ether for each Colour—Newton’s Scale of Colours—Diffraction of Light—Sir John Herschel’s Theory of the Absorption of Light—Refraction and Reflection of Light
SECTION XXI.
Polarization of Light—Defined—Polarization by Refraction—Properties of the Tourmaline—Double Refraction—All doubly Refracted Light is Polarized—Properties of Iceland Spar—Tourmaline absorbs one of the two Refracted Rays—Undulations of Natural Light—Undulations of Polarized Light—The Optic Axes of Crystals—M. Fresnel’s Discoveries on the Rays passing along the Optic Axis—Polarization by Reflection