Question

The deflection of light by minute particles and molecules in all distraction is known as ______________of light
(A) dispersion
(B) interference
(C) diffraction
(D) scattering

Answer 1

Hint
It is known that the process of splitting of white light into seven colours is called dispersion of light. Since violet light has a shorter wavelength, it is slowed more than the longer wavelengths of red light. Consequently, violet light is bent the most while red light is bent the least. This separation of white light into its individual colours is known as dispersion of light. Upon passage through the prism, the white light is separated into its component colours red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. The separation of visible light into its different colours is known as dispersion. Based on this we have to solve this question.

Complete step by step answer
We should know that dispersion is a statistical term that describes the size of the distribution of values expected for a particular variable. Dispersion can be measured by several different statistics, such as range, variance, and standard deviation. Sound waves, all types of electromagnetic waves, and water waves can be dispersed according to wavelength.
So, it can be said that dispersion occurs whenever the speed of propagation depends on wavelength, thus separating and spreading out various wavelengths. Dispersion occurs due to the different degrees of refraction experienced by different colours of light. Light of different colours may travel with the same speed in a vacuum, but they travel at different speeds in some refracting medium. The dispersion occurs in prisms but not in glass slabs because of the geometric design.
Thus, the difference in a prism and glass slab is that emerging colours from the second interface are not parallel to each other instead they are diverging, so after a certain distance we see the spectrum separated.
Hence, the correct answer is option (A).

Note
We should know that the wave interference is the phenomenon that occurs when two waves meet while traveling along the same medium. The interference of waves causes the medium to take on a shape that results from the net effect of the two individual waves upon the particles of the medium. interference is a phenomenon in which two waves superpose to form a resultant wave of greater, lower, or the same amplitude.
On the other hand, the diffraction refers to various phenomena that occur when a wave encounters an obstacle or a slit. It is defined as the bending of waves around the corners of an obstacle or through an aperture into the region of geometrical shadow of the obstacle or aperture. Diffraction is the spreading out of waves as they pass through an aperture or around objects. It occurs significantly when the size of the aperture or obstacle is of similar linear dimensions to the wavelength of the incident wave. It happens when a part of the travelling wavefront is obscured.
Lastly, different from reflection, where radiation is deflected in one direction, some particles and molecules found in the atmosphere have the ability to scatter solar radiation in all directions. The particles or molecules which scatter light are called scatterers and can also include particulates made by human industry.