Question
When white light enters a prism, it can be refracted by different amounts in a process called dispersion. Explain what you would see when dispersion happens (1 mark) Enter answer.. __
Answer
4.2
(181 Votes)
Malcolm
Expert · Tutor for 3 years
Answer
When dispersion happens, you would see white light spread out into a spectrum of colors, ranging from red to violet, often resembling a rainbow.
Explanation
## Step 1:When white light enters a prism, it encounters a change in medium from air to glass.## Step 2:The change in medium causes the light to refract due to a change in speed, which varies for different wavelengths of light.## Step 3:Shorter wavelengths (blue/violet light) refract more than longer wavelengths (red light).## Step 4:This differential refraction causes the white light to spread out into its constituent spectrum of colors, ranging from red to violet.## Step 5:The resulting phenomenon is known as dispersion, and it creates a spectrum of colors, often called a rainbow.