Abstract
II. TO continue our study of visible light, that is, undulations ex tending from red to violet in the spectrum (which I am going to show you presently), I would first point out on this chart that in the section from letter “A” to letter “D” we have visual effect and heating effect only; but no ordinary chemical or photographic effect. Photographers can leave their usual sensi tive chemically prepared plates exposed to yellow light and red light without experiencing any sensible effect; but when you get toward the blue end of the spectrum the photographic effect begins to tell, more and more as you get towards the violet end. When you get beyond the violet, there is the invisible light known chiefly by its chemical action. From yellow to violet we have visual effect, heating effect, and chemical effect, all three; above the violet only chemical and heating effects, and so little of the heating effect that it is scarcely perceptible.
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The Wave Theory of Light 1 . Nature 31, 115–118 (1884). https://doi.org/10.1038/031115a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/031115a0