Abstract
The basic concepts of theoretical and experimental optics have remained largely unchanged since the 1890s. With the exception of the existence of the ethereal medium, interpretations and explanations of classical optical phenomena contained in introductory optics textbooks of the late 1800s and early 1900s are essentially modern, and textbooks from this era can provide a valuable source of teaching and learning material which can be adapted for modern coursework free of fear of copyright infringement. In surveying a number of such textbooks, a trove of interesting “chiefly by the lantern” experiments which would prove useful to any student of today have been found. This talk will describe a selected few such experiments which can be done without significant materials cost, perhaps involving minerals such as mica, tourmaline, and selenite.
© 2019 SPIE, ICO, IEEE, OSA
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