Newton’s works in the field of mechanics were very important, as were the studies and theories he developed in the field of optics. In his work entitled Optiks he developed a very broad study of luminous phenomena. Newton defended several ideas, among them the theory of the colors of bodies and his conception of the nature of light.
The corpuscular model of light
Newton tried to justify his theory by stating that light behaved like small spheres, which collided elastically with a smooth surface, being reflected so that the angle of incidence was equal to the angle of refraction. Thus, according to the phenomenon of reflection, Newton considered light to be constituted by a set of particles that are elastically reflected on a surface.
wave model
The wave model proposed and defended by Huyghens said that light was a wave and it significantly explained the reflection and refraction of light. As we know, any wave is reflected and refracted according to the laws of reflection and refraction of light beams. Observations on these phenomena led scientists to favor the wave model proposed by Huyghens, as Newton’s theory was not verified in practice.
