❓ why
Why do prisms split white light into different colors?
PhysicsOptics
Quick Answer
Different colors of light bend by different amounts because they travel at slightly different speeds in glass. Shorter wavelengths like blue are refracted more than longer wavelengths like red.
The Full Story
White light is a mixture of many wavelengths. In a prism, the material’s refractive index depends on wavelength, so each color slows differently and bends by a different angle. This effect is called dispersion. Isaac Newton demonstrated it in the 1660s, showing that white light can be separated into a spectrum rather than being created by the prism. Rainbows work on the same physical principle, using water droplets instead of glass.
Key Facts
1.Dispersion separates colors by wavelength
2.Newton’s prism experiments date to the 1660s
3.Blue light bends more than red in glass
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"Why does a prism reveal a rainbow?"