What term is used for the spreading out of the white light into different colors inside the prism?

1 Answer
IDKwhatName
Jul 9, 2017

Diffraction

Explanation:

Diffraction doesn't just happen with prism, it can also happen with diffraction gratings (http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/phyopt/grating.html). As the website shows you, it can also happen with any colour of light. It occurs as the light have different wavelengths.

#nlamda=dsintheta#
#n# is the order, number of bright spots from the centre
#lamda is the wavelength #d# is the distance if the spacing, or #1/("Number of slits per meter")# #theta# is the angle the bright is to the normal, or central maxima (birghtest light in the center)

From this you get #theta=sin^(-1)((nlamda)/d)#, where an increase in wavelength gives an increase in the angle it is diffracted at.

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