This breakthrough was followed by yet other honors. Brewster was admitted to the Royal Society of London, and was later awarded the Rumford Gold and Silver Medal for his theory on the polarization of light.
Ambient light, which comprises most of the light we encounter every day, is a collection of light waves vibrating in all directions. When light is reflected or it passes through certain materials, the waves tend to vibrate in a single direction.
Light that vibrates in this more orderly fashion is polarized. Brewster discovered a simple way to calculate the angle at which light must strike a substance for maximum polarization. It is central to the development of fiber optics, lasers, and to the study of meteorology, cosmology, and material. Success followed success and in , the Institute of France adjudged him 3, francs — half the prizes given that year for the two important scientific discoveries made in the two previous years.
Then, as an added jewel to his already glittering optics crown, Brewster invented the kaleidoscope! It was , and Brewster at 35, was already an established philosopher, writer, scientist, and inventor. His kaleidoscope created unprecedented clamor. Peter M. A universal mania for the instrument seized all classes, from the lowest to the highest, from the most ignorant to the most learned, and every person not only felt, but expressed the feeling that a new pleasure had been added to their existence.
While Brewster was granted a patent for his kaleidoscope, as well as acknowledgment and acclaim for his invention, he did not realize any remuneration.
In a first exhibition of kaleidoscopes helped fuel the interest in kaleidoscopes as an art form. Today there are 's of great kaleidoscope artists and kaleidoscope makers. View All Submit. Charles G. We respect your privacy. Privacy Policy. When light strikes a reflective surface at a certain angle, referred to as the polarizing angle, the reflected light becomes completely polarized.
Brewster discovered a simple mathematical relationship between the polarizing angle and the refractive index of the reflective substance. This law is useful in determining the refractive index of materials that are opaque or available only in small samples.
Already in the degree of LL. Among the non-scientific public, his fame spread more effectually by his invention in about of the kaleidoscope, for which actually there was a great demand in that time. Brewster chose renowned achromatic lens developer Philip Carpenter as the sole manufacturer of the kaleidoscope in Although Brewster patented the kaleidoscope in , a copy of the prototype was shown to London opticians and copied before the patent was granted.
As a consequence, the kaleidoscope became produced in large numbers, but yielded no direct financial benefits to Brewster. It proved to be a massive success with two hundred thousand kaleidoscopes sold in London and Paris in just three months. In the early s, Charles Bush, a Prussian native living in Massachusetts, improved upon the kaleidoscope and started the kaleidoscope fad. Charles Bush was granted patents in and related to improvements in kaleidoscopes, kaleidoscope boxes, objects for kaleidoscopes US , , and kaleidoscope stands.
Charles Bush was the first person to mass manufacture his "parlor" kaleidoscope in America. His kaleidoscopes were distinguished by the use of liquid-filled glass ampules to create even more visually stunning effects. The kaleidoscope creates reflections of a direct view of the objects at the end of a tube, through the use of angled mirrors set at the end; as the user rotates the tube, the mirrors create new patterns.
The image will be symmetrical if the mirror angle is an even divider of degrees. A mirror set at 60 degrees will generate a pattern of six regular sectors. A mirror angle at 45 degrees will make eight equal sectors, and an angle of 30 degrees will make twelve. The lines and colors of simple shapes are multiplied by the mirrors into a visually stimulating vortex.
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