A student is performing an experiment with two triangular glass prisms. He places the first glass prism on its base. The second glass prism is placed upside down behind the first glass prism. When a beam of white light is allowed to fall on the first glass prism, then a patch of ordinary white light is obtained on a screen placed behind the second glass prism.
(a) Draw a ray diagram to show the above arrangement of two glass prisms and the light passing through them.
(b) What is the function of (i) first prism, and (ii) second prism, in this arrangement?

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Solution

(a)

(b) (i) The function of the first prism is to split the white light into seven colors.
(ii) The function of the second prism is to recombine them back into white light.

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(a) (b) (i) The function of the first prism is to split the white light into seven colors. (ii) The function of the second prism is to recombine them back into white light.

(a)

(b) (i) The function of the first prism is to split the white light into seven colors.
(ii) The function of the second prism is to recombine them back into white light.