Prismatic colours explained with Goethe’s fundamental phenomenon

Elemente der Naturwissenschaft 82, 2005, P. 73-86 | DOI: 10.18756/edn.82.73

Abstract:

When light passes a transition between media of different optical density, colours arise, for example with a prism or a water surface. The usual Newtonian explanation of this phenomenon is well known. Besides Newton, Goethe also occupied himself intensively with the theory of colour. He explained the arising of colours with the ‘fundamental phenomenon of colour’ formulated by him. However, he could not satisfactorily explain the prismatic colours. In this article the prismatic colours are also explained on the basis of Goethe’s fundamental phenomenon.