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When a beam of white light passes through a glass prism, it splits into its constituent colours. This phenomenon is primarily due to:
Total internal reflection
Diffraction
Dispersion
Polarization
Dispersion
Dispersion is the phenomenon where white light splits into its constituent spectrum of colors when passing through a prism. This occurs because the refractive index of the medium varies with the wavelength of light.
Dispersion is the phenomenon where white light splits into its constituent spectrum of colors when passing through a prism. This occurs because the refractive index of the medium varies with the wavelength of light.
Think of it like a group of runners on a track with different speeds; when they are forced to run through a 'muddy patch' (the prism), those who are slower (violet) get deflected more than those who are faster (red), causing them to spread out.
VIBGYOR (Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red) represents the order of increasing wavelength and decreasing deviation.
n=vcтАЛ тАФ definition of refractive index
╬┤=(nтИТ1)A тАФ angle of deviation for a thin prism
When white light enters a prism, different colors travel at different speeds within the glass. According to Cauchy's equation, the refractive index n is inversely related to wavelength ╬╗. Consequently, violet light (shortest wavelength) bends more than red light (longest wavelength), resulting in a continuous band of colors known as a spectrum.
Red light has the longest wavelength and deviates the least.
Violet light has the shortest wavelength and deviates the most.
Dispersion is caused by the dependence of the refractive index of the material on the frequency/wavelength of light.
Allows for the study of the spectral composition of light sources.
Essential for the working of spectrometers.
Causes chromatic aberration in simple lenses, leading to color fringing in images.
Formation of a rainbow in the atmosphere.
Functioning of an optical prism in laboratory spectrographs.
Visible spectrum ranges from approximately 380 nm to 750 nm.
Option A (Total internal reflection) occurs at high angles of incidence at a glass-air interface, not causing primary splitting. Option B (Diffraction) is the bending of light around obstacles. Option D (Polarization) is the restriction of the oscillation of light waves to a specific plane.
C is correct тАФ The splitting of white light into its component colors upon passing through a prism is known as dispersion.
Remember that dispersion happens because the speed of light in a medium depends on its wavelength; this is why prisms work while a rectangular glass slab (which has parallel faces) does not produce a separated spectrum.
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