Part II. The methods which Lomonosov used for preparing and studying; coloured glasses were also' applied in his experiments on the prep i ration of optical glass

The methods which Lomonosov used for preparing and studying; coloured glasses were also' applied in his experiments on the prep i ration of optical glass. In 1762 – 1763 he investigated the refracti. (преломление) of various optical glasses, glass containing lead (свинец) oxide gave much more refraction than other sorts. He also made systematic studies of a large number of metallic alloys to find a suitable (подходящий) one for use as a telescope mirror зеркало). Не tested various alloys of copper, tin, zing, bismuth, and antimony (сурьма), and finally concluded that the alloy which gave best reflecting properties when polished (отполирована) consisted of two parts of copper, one part of tin, and one part of zinc. Lomonosov always thought of practical needs, the best compositions and conditions for his needs having been worked out by careful and systematic experiments.

In 1752 he realized that the facilities (возможности) of the chemical laboratory were inadequate, and Lomonosov asked the authorities for money to construct a factory to manufacture his coloured glasses. Soon the factory was built not far from St. Petersburg. The work of the factory was divided into two parts. One manufactured the mixtures for the mosaic glasses, the other part of the factory manufacturing glass objects.

The design (рисунок, узор) of the mosaic was done by Lomonosov himself. He had seen the Italian mosaics and in his student days he had spent a few months in Kiev where he saw the beautiful examples of mosaics which existed in Russia at the time. It was under the inspiration (влиянием) of these examples that he began his own work. In the laboratory in his house he had a furnace (печь) in which the glass was remelted and cast (отливалось) into small cylinders which were assembled into the mosaic in a large copper pan (сковороде). Lomonosov completed only one picture, the Battle of Poltava, which showed the victory of Peter the Great over Charles XII of Sweden in 1709.

During his life Lomonosov's mosaics were greatly admired (восхищаться). In 1763 he was elected an honorary member of the Academy of Art.

10. Agree or disagree.

1. Lomonosov couldn't find an alloy with the smoothest surface.

2. Glass containing lead oxide is different from other sorts of glass.

3. The factory, Lomonosov constructed for producing coloured glasses, was built of bricks.

4. Lomonosov was the first in Russia to design the mosaic.

5. He completed several mosaic pictures.