An Introduction to the Theory of Optics (Classic Reprint) - Couverture souple

Arthur Schuster

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1330364201 ISBN 13 : 9781330364208

Editeur : Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

Explore the core ideas of light and how we measure, manipulate, and visualize it in the real world. This classic work surveys the theory and practical instruments of optics, from interference and diffraction to the behavior of light in crystals and through lenses. It blends fundamental principles with experimental methods, offering readers a solid foundation for understanding how optical systems are designed and tested.

The text emphasizes how light travels, how its speed and wavelength are measured, and how polarization and crystal structure affect propagation. It also discusses essential tools like interferometers, gratings, and compensators, and presents thought experiments and real-world demonstrations that illuminate complex ideas in approachable terms.

• How wave behavior, refraction, dispersion, and interference lead to image formation and spectrum analysis


• Principles behind optical instruments, including lenses, mirrors, and interferometers


• Applications of polarization, crystal optics, and selective dispersion in experiments


• Historical context and key experiments that shaped the theory of light

Ideal for readers of physics who want a clear, practical grounding in how light works and how optical theory connects to measurement and instrumentation.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

Optics in the sense that the elastic solid theory was accepted fifty years ago. We have abandoned that theory, and learned that the undulations of light are electromagnetic waves differing only in linear dimensions from the disturbances which are generated by oscillating electric currents or moving magnets. But so long as the character of the displacements which constitute the waves remains undefined we cannot pretend to have established a theory of light. This limitation of our knowledge, which in one sense is a retrogression from the philosophic standpoint of the founders of the undulatory theory, is not always sufficiently recognized and sometimes deliberately ignored. Those who believe in the possibility of a mechanical conception of the universe and are not willing to abandon the methods which from the time of Galileo and Newton have uniformly and exclusively led to success, must look with the gravest concern on a growing school of scientific thought which rests content with equations correctly representing numerical relationships between different phenomena, even though no precise meaning can be attached to the symbols used. The fact that this evasive school of philosophy has received some countenance from the writings of Heinrich Hertz renders it all the more necessary that it should be treated seriously and resisted strenuously.
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology.

Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attention has been made to accurately preserve the original format of each page whilst digitally enhancing the aged text.

Présentation de l'éditeur

Originally published in 1915. This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies. All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Forgotten Books
• Date d'édition: 2018
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1330364201
• ISBN 13: 9781330364208
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 376
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