In: Chemistry
Q: Why does a prism separate light into different colors ?
As we know that white light colors contain Seven colors of light like Violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow and red.The separation of visible light into its different colors is known as dispersion. It was mentioned in the Light and Color unit that each color is characteristic of a distinct wave frequency and different frequencies of light waves will bend varying amounts upon passage through a prism. especially In case of white when it falls into the prism through a absorbing sample which absorbs the radiation of certain wavelength. The missing wavelength which responds to the radiation absorbed by the matter , leave the dark spaces in the bright continuous spectrum. All the different color with different wavelength coming from the prism are reflected on the film detector.
All these occurs due to the structure of prism, it has an angle between two surfaces and triangular base and rectangular side. For this structure the dispersion happen when light falls on prism.This causes light of different colors to be refracted differently and to leave the prism at different angles, creating seven color of lights just like rainbow.