What Happens When Light Enters a Glass Prism?

What happens when light enters a glass prism?

When light enters a glass prism, what phenomenon occurs?

Answer

When light enters a glass prism, it undergoes refraction and dispersion.

When light enters a glass prism, it bends due to refraction. Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another with a different optical density. In the case of a glass prism, the different optical density of glass compared to air causes the light to bend.

Additionally, as light enters the prism, it is dispersed into its component colors. This phenomenon is known as dispersion. The prism separates the white light into its constituent wavelengths, creating a spectrum of colors ranging from red to violet.

Therefore, when light enters a glass prism, it is refracted and dispersed, leading to the formation of a spectrum of colors. This property of prisms is essential in applications such as spectroscopy, where the dispersion of light allows for the analysis of different wavelengths present in a light source.