What is termed when white light passes through a prism and is broken down into component colors?

What is termed when white light passes through a prism and is broken down into component colors?

• A. Reflection
• B. Refraction
• C. Dispersion
• D. Diffraction

Answer: (C)

When white light passes through a prism, it undergoes a process known as dispersion. This phenomenon occurs because different colors (or wavelengths) of light travel at different speeds when they pass through a medium such as glass. As the light enters the prism, it slows down and bends, but the degree of bending varies for each color. Shorter wavelengths, like blue and violet, bend more than longer wavelengths, such as red. As a result, the light is spread out into a spectrum of colors, ranging from red to violet. This separation of light into its component colors is what defines dispersion. In contrast, reflection refers to the bouncing back of light when it strikes a surface, while refraction involves the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another. Diffraction is the spreading of waves when they encounter an obstacle or aperture. Although these processes are related to the behavior of light, they do not specifically describe the separation of white light into colors, which is the essence of dispersion.

When white light passes through a prism, it undergoes a process known as dispersion. This phenomenon occurs because different colors (or wavelengths) of light travel at different speeds when they pass through a medium such as glass. As the light enters the prism, it slows down and bends, but the degree of bending varies for each color. Shorter wavelengths, like blue and violet, bend more than longer wavelengths, such as red. As a result, the light is spread out into a spectrum of colors, ranging from red to violet. This separation of light into its component colors is what defines dispersion.

In contrast, reflection refers to the bouncing back of light when it strikes a surface, while refraction involves the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another. Diffraction is the spreading of waves when they encounter an obstacle or aperture. Although these processes are related to the behavior of light, they do not specifically describe the separation of white light into colors, which is the essence of dispersion.