Reflectors, part of apparatus to demonstrate properties of radiant heat

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These two concave silvered metal reflectors were made in the mid 19th century, probably in England. They were part of an apparatus to demonstrate the properties of radiant heat.

The reflectors were used in conjunction with a cage and thermometers to show heat and cold could be reflected from mirrors. A hot sphere or block of ice was placed in the cage and the reflectors set up to reflect the heat radiation onto a thermometer.

This experiment was performed in Edinburgh in 1800 by John Leslie (1766-1832) and T. C. Hope (1766-1844) in the presence of the scientist Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford (1753-1814).

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• Online ID: 000-190-004-046-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  T.1902.21.2
• Date: Mid 19th century
  Mid 19th century
  
• Material: Metal
  Metal
  Reflector
  Reflector
  
• Dimensions:
• What: Reflector
  Reflector
  
• Subject: 22. PHYSICS, Light (Departmental Classification)
  22. PHYSICS, Light (Departmental Classification)
  
• Who:
• Where: England
  England
  
• Event:
• Description: Metal reflector on a stand, probably English, mid 19th century
  Metal reflector on a stand, probably English, mid 19th century
  
• References:
  • For Count Rumford's description, see Brown, Sanborn C. (ed.) The Collected Works of Count Rumford, Vol. I. Cambridge, Mass., 1968, p 477 
  • For similar items and their history, see Anderson, R. G. W., The Playfair Collection. Edinburgh: 1978, pp 120-2 
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