A beam of light that consists of a mixture of red,green and violet light strikes a prism (surrounded by air)as shown.Indices of refraction for this prism for the various colors are indicated in the table.An observer is located to the right of the prism as shown.

-Which physical phenomenon is illustrated by the fact that the emerging rays are spread into the component colors of the beam?
A)Doppler effect
B)dispersion
C)diffraction
D)total internal reflection
E)interference

Question

A beam of light that consists of a mixture of red,green and violet light strikes a prism (surrounded by air)as shown.Indices of refraction for this prism for the various colors are indicated in the table.An observer is located to the right of the prism as shown.
  
-Which physical phenomenon is illustrated by the fact that the emerging rays are spread into the component colors of the beam?
A)Doppler effect 
B)dispersion 
C)diffraction 
D)total internal reflection 
E)interference

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fact that the emerging rays are spread into the component colors of the beam is due to dispersion - the phenomenon of different colors of light having different indices of refraction and thus bending at different angles as they pass through a material. In this case, the prism causes the light to refract and thus separate into its component colors.

A Beam of Light That Consists of a Mixture of Red,green