Question

Explain the dispersion of white light by a glass prism using necessary figures.

Answer 1

Hint :Here the dispersion of light takes place when the white light is allowed to pass through the prism which dispersed into the seven constituent colours which occurs as the lights of the different colours bend through the different angles when passing through the prism.

Complete Step By Step Answer:
The light of different colours bend through the different angles while passing through the prism and this happens due to the difference in the velocities of the different colours produced when light is passed through the prism. Since, the property of the refractive index of the glass is different for the different colours.
Observe the below diagram of the prism and when the white light is allowed to pass.

Since the wavelength of the violet light is the smallest compared to the red light, the maximum deviation is observed for violet light and the minimum deviation is observed for the red light.

Additional Information:
The slight bending of the light when it passes around the edge of an object is due to the diffraction. For example – Light Entering and bending around the corners of the doors and windows.
The phenomenon of splitting one light into the components of colourful lights is known as the dispersion of the light. For Example: Rainbow during the rainy-season and when light is passed through prism it splits into rainbow like structure.

Note :
Always remember that the light which has more wavelength will scatter less and will ultimately have the less dispersion. When the white light is allowed to pass through the prism then red colour will deviate least and the violet the deviate most.