Fresnel, Augustin Jean
Encyclopaedia Search
Fresnel, Augustin Jean
French physicist who refined the theory of polarized light. Fresnel realized in 1821 that light waves do not vibrate like sound waves longitudinally, in the direction of their motion, but transversely, at right angles to the direction of the propagated wave.
Fresnel first had to confirm the wave theory of light. He demonstrated mathematically that the dimensions of light and dark bands produced by diffraction could be related to the wavelength of the light producing them if light consisted of waves. To explain double refraction, he then arrived at the theory of transverse waves.
© RM 2009. Helicon Publishing is division of RM.
Advertisement starts
Advertisement ends
Advertisement starts
Advertisement ends
Country Search
Dictionary search
Bahamas Flag
Health Search
Advertisement starts
Advertisement ends
Page Footer
Access keys
You will need to use different key combinations in order to use access keys depending on your internet browser, find out which on our accessibility page.
- (0) Navigate to Accessibility page.
- (1) Navigate to Home page.
- (2) Navigate to My email.
- (3) Navigate to My Account.
- (4) Navigate to Site Map page.
- (5) Navigate to Contact us page.
- (6) Navigate to Members channel.
- (7) Navigate to Services channel.
- (8) Navigate to News & Info channel.
- (9) Navigate to Entertainment channel.
- ([) Skip down to the Primary navigation block.
- (]) Skip down to the more links within this section block.
- (=) Bypass all navigation and jump to the content.
- (x) Text only version of this page.
