The following is a query from a science communication student at Dublin
City University. His e-mail is listed in the message. Anyone with
something sensible to say, please respond to him directly.
Steve
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 18:49:19 +0100
From: Noel Cunningham <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: history of Newton
Hi Steve
We teach that Newton 'discovered' dispersion by allowing light to pass
through a hole in his curtains and then through a prism, and become
projected on a far wall.
He himself mentions that
"In the year 1666 I procured me a triangular glass prism, to try therewith
the celebrated phenomena of colours".
This suggests that the phenomena was well known before Newton. I read
recently (from the Institute of Physics Education group) that Newton's
'discovery' of the seven colours in this display was influenced by
Pythagorean ideals about the number seven.
If Newton wasn't the first to demonstrate dispersion, was he the first to
notice that there were 'seven' colours or is this sometheing we have
attributed to him in error?
Regards,
Noel Cunningham
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|