Different colors of light bend through different angles with respect to the incident ray as they pass through a prism. This phenomenon is known as dispersion.
Why does white light get dispersed into its seven-color components when passing through a prism?
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When white light passes through a prism, it undergoes dispersion due to the phenomenon of refraction. The speed of light varies with different colors as they travel through the prism, causing each color to bend by a different angle. This occurs because each color has a unique wavelength, and the refractive index of the prism is wavelength-dependent. As a result, the various colors that make up white light are spread out or dispersed, forming a spectrum. This separation showcases the continuous range of colors present in white light, with shorter wavelengths (violet and blue) bending more than longer wavelengths (red and orange).