Wave Theory

In the 19th century, there was fierce debate between supporters of rival theories on the nature of light. Those supporting the wave theory often used models to explain their ideas, as the mathematics is very complex.

Wave theorists

Following the work of wave theorists such as Thomas Young,Augustin Fresnel and François Arago in the 1810s and 1820s, the wave theory came to be seen as a potential explanation for understanding the nature of light.

The wave theory was challenged by those who supported the particle theory. They attacked the wave theory for several reasons, leading to heated debate over the first half of the 19th century.

One problem was that analysing the waves mathematically was extremely complex. The tools that modern physicists use were in the process of being invented.

The British Empire was built on scientific labour. Precision instruments made in London, charts published by the Royal Observatory, chronometers set to Greenwich time: all of these material tools and many others were essential for the navigation of Britain’s ships to far flung corners of the globe.

On foreign soil, astronomers, surveyors, and geographers worked side by side with administrators and the military during British efforts to discover, conquer, settle, and manage new colonies. And once established, the imperial world also served as a crucial field site for numerous astronomical enterprises, from the periodic observation of eclipses to the establishment of major new observatories.

Problems of communication

Another problem for wave theorists was communicating the physical structure of waves that they were proposing. Wave-motion models such as the one pictured here became a popular means of investigating, visualising and explaining waves.

By the second half of the 19th century the wave theory was generally accepted within Britain. By this time, however, new problems had arisen. Light displays a property known as polarisation, which has been known since 1669. Physicists found it difficult to explain this phenomenon according to the wave theory.

Despite physicists' best efforts, it proved too complex to incorporate all of the properties of waves within a mechanical model. Towards the end of the 19th century, physicists abandoned mechanical models in favour of more abstract mathematical equations.