Optics of prisms. 18th-century diagrams on optics, showing the path of light through prisms. Prisms refract light, with a dispersive prism (upper cent

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Optics of prisms. 18th-century diagrams on optics, showing the path of light through prisms. Prisms refract light, with a dispersive prism (upper centre) used to split white light into its component colours. This spectrum of colours is labelled at upper left. These diagrams were published in 'A Compleat System of Opticks' (1738) by English mathematician Robert Smith (1689-1768).

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Size: 3785px × 4672px
Photo credit: © ROYAL INSTITUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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