Meanings
- An experimental observation related to the psychophysics of vision. If a light flickers so rapidly that it appears continuous, then its perceived brightness will be determined by the relative periods of light and darkness: the longer the darkness, the weaker the light.
Synonyms: Talbot's law
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounAn experimental observation related to the psychophysics of vision. If a light flickers so rapidly that it appears continuous, then its perceived brightness will be determined by the relative periods of light and darkness: the longer the darkness, the weaker the light.
Origin
Named after Belgian scientist Joseph Plateau and English photography pioneer Henry Fox Talbot, who wrote on the topic in the 1830s.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Talbot-Plateau law. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Talbot-Plateau%20law
“Talbot-Plateau law.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Talbot-Plateau%20law. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Talbot-Plateau law,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Talbot-Plateau%20law.
Source: Talbot-Plateau law on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.