Physical Optics

Robert Wood's 1905 foundational textbook on physical optics — which established the modern experimental basis for the science of light — and which reflected Wood's lifetime of extraordinary experimental optical physics work.

Established the experimental foundation of physical optics — Wood's own experimental discoveries (Wood's anomalies, ultraviolet photography, infrared photography) synthesized into a teachable framework — making it the defining textbook of its era in optical physics.