Cover of Opticks

Opticks

by Isaac Newton

Reading level
Fairly demanding
Price
Free

About the book

"Opticks: or, A Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light" by Isaac Newton is a scientific treatise published in 1704. Through carefully documented experiments with prisms, lenses, and glass sheets, Newton overturns ancient beliefs about light and color. He demonstrates that white light contains a spectrum of hues, and that color arises from light's physical properties rather than mixture with darkness. This landmark work reveals how observation and experimental testing can unlock nature's fundamental secrets.

  • Optics

Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #33504. Opticks on Wikipedia.

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