Johann Georg von Soldner

Name: Translation:On the Deflection of a Light Ray from its Rectilinear Motion
Author: Johann Georg von Soldner

Translation:On the Deflection of a Light Ray from its Rectilinear Motion (1804)

Summary

“Translation:On the Deflection of a Light Ray from its Rectilinear Motion”, published in 1804, is a work by Johann Georg von Soldner. It explores elements such as light ray, equation and radius.

Quotes from Translation:On the Deflection of a Light Ray from its Rectilinear Motion (Johann Georg von Soldner)

Johann Georg von Soldner, Translation:On the Deflection of a Light Ray from its Rectilinear Motion (1804)

“ Hopefully no one finds it problematic, that I treat a light ray almost as a ponderable body. That light rays possess all absolute properties of matter, can be seen at the phenomenon of aberration, which is only possible when light rays are really material. — And furthermore, we cannot think of things that exist and act on our senses, without having the properties of matter. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Johann Georg von Soldner, Translation:On the Deflection of a Light Ray from its Rectilinear Motion (1804)

“ If thus a light ray passes a celestial body, then it will be forced by the attraction of the body to describe a hyperbola whose concave side is directed against the attracting body, instead of progressing in a straight direction. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Johann Georg von Soldner, Translation:On the Deflection of a Light Ray from its Rectilinear Motion (1804)

“ Since the figure of the trajectory is now specified, we can consider the light ray again as arriving. And because I at first want to specify only the maximum of the perturbation angle, I assume that the light ray comes from an infinitely great distance. — The maximum must take place in this case, because the attracting body longer acts on the light ray when it comes from a greater than from a smaller distance. — If the light ray comes from an infinite distance, then its initial direction is that of the asymptote BR (Fig. 3.) ”

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Source: Wikisource

Johann Georg von Soldner, Translation:On the Deflection of a Light Ray from its Rectilinear Motion (1804)

“ Because it also must be even nearly as important for us to know what exists according to the theory, but which has no perceptible influence in practice; as it concerns us, what has a real influence in respect to practice. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Johann Georg von Soldner, Translation:On the Deflection of a Light Ray from its Rectilinear Motion (1804)

“ If we substitute this into equation (VIII) , then we find:
, and if we properly develop everything,
Since this equation is of second degree, then the curved line is a conic section, that can be studied more closely now.
If p is the parameter and a the semi-major axis, then (if we calculate the abscissa with its start at the vertex) the general equation for all conic sections is:
. This equation contains the properties of the parabola, when the coefficient of x2 is zero; that of the ellipse when it is negative; and that of the hyperbola when it is positive. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Johann Georg von Soldner, Translation:On the Deflection of a Light Ray from its Rectilinear Motion (1804)

“ The earth radius and the acceleration of gravity must therefore taken under the mentioned degree of latitude, since the earth spheroid (regarding its physical content) is equal to a sphere which has earth's radius (or 6369514 meters) as its radius. —
If we substitute these values for v and g into the equation of , then we obtain (in sexagesimal seconds) = 0",0009798, or in even number, = 0",001. Since this maximum is totally insignificant, it would be superfluous to go further ”

Johann Georg von Soldner

Summary

Quotes from Translation:On the Deflection of a Light Ray from its Rectilinear Motion (Johann Georg von Soldner)

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