Question

(i) A ray of white light breaks up into its components while passing through a glass prism. Draw a ray diagram to show the path of rays.
(ii) Mark the least deviated colour in your diagramhttp://www.pstcc.edu/departments/natural_behavioral_sciences/Web%20Physics/Chapter036.htm
fig .35.
(iii) Why do different coloured rays deviate differently in a prism?

Answer 1

(i) The splitting of white light into its component colours on passing through a glass prism is shown in the following diagram.



(ii) The least deviated colour is red, which is marked in the diagram.

(iii) Different colours have different wavelengths; therefore, they deviate differently when passing through a glass prism. The amount of deviation depends on the wavelength of the coloured light.