Thomas Young

Physics England 1773 – 1829 102 quotes

English polymath who demonstrated the wave nature of light through the double-slit experiment, bridging physics and physiology.

Quotes by Thomas Young

The undulatory theory of light, which I have endeavoured to support, has been so much misunderstood, and has been so imperfectly appreciated, that I have thought it necessary to state its principles anew.

A Letter to Mr. Nicholson on the Production of Colours 1802

It is a most mortifying thing for a man who has prided himself on his accuracy to be found in an error.

Letter to Humphry Davy 1801

The colours of thin plates are not produced by the interference of two pencils of light, but by the interference of a great number of pencils.

Experiments and Calculations Relative to Physical Optics 1802

The principle of interference, as I have termed it, is of such general application, that it must be considered as the fundamental law of all the phenomena of light.

Experiments and Calculations Relative to Physical Optics 1802

Nothing is more difficult than to make a discovery, and nothing more easy than to deny it.

A Letter to Mr. Nicholson on the Production of Colours 1802

The undulatory theory of light, if it be admitted, will explain all the phenomena of light, without the necessity of supposing any new properties in matter.

Experiments and Calculations Relative to Physical Optics 1802

The more I examine the subject, the more I am convinced that the undulatory theory of light is the only one that can explain all the phenomena.

Experiments and Calculations Relative to Physical Optics 1802

The colours of thin plates are produced by the interference of two portions of light, one reflected from the first surface, and the other from the second.

Experiments and Calculations Relative to Physical Optics 1802

The velocity of light is so great, that it is difficult to conceive how it can be propagated by the undulations of an elastic medium.

Experiments and Calculations Relative to Physical Optics 1802

The undulatory theory of light is not a mere hypothesis, but a theory supported by a great number of experiments.

Experiments and Calculations Relative to Physical Optics 1802

The colours of thin plates are not produced by the different refrangibility of light, but by the interference of the rays.

Experiments and Calculations Relative to Physical Optics 1802

The undulatory theory of light is not a new theory, but a revival of an old one, which has been neglected for a long time.

Experiments and Calculations Relative to Physical Optics 1802

The colours of thin plates are not produced by the absorption of light, but by the interference of the rays.

Experiments and Calculations Relative to Physical Optics 1802

The undulatory theory of light is not a perfect theory, but it is the best that we have at present.

Experiments and Calculations Relative to Physical Optics 1802

The colours of thin plates are not produced by the reflection of light, but by the interference of the rays.

Experiments and Calculations Relative to Physical Optics 1802

The undulatory theory of light is not a simple theory, but it is a consistent one.

Experiments and Calculations Relative to Physical Optics 1802

The colours of thin plates are not produced by the refraction of light, but by the interference of the rays.

Experiments and Calculations Relative to Physical Optics 1802

The undulatory theory of light is not a complete theory, but it is a promising one.

Experiments and Calculations Relative to Physical Optics 1802

The colours of thin plates are not produced by the diffraction of light, but by the interference of the rays.

Experiments and Calculations Relative to Physical Optics 1802

The undulatory theory of light is not a final theory, but it is a step in the right direction.

Experiments and Calculations Relative to Physical Optics 1802