======Separating White Light into Colors======


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**Alternative titles:** Dispersion of Light with a Prism
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Place a sheet of white paper on a flat surface to act as a screen.  
  - Set up the light box with a single slit so that it produces a narrow beam of white light.  
  - Position the triangular prism in the path of the light beam.  
  - Adjust the prism angle by turning it slightly clockwise or counterclockwise until a clear rainbow spectrum appears on the paper.  
  - Observe the order of colors from least bent to most bent: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.



====Links==== 
Making a spectrum with a triangular prism and ray box - Physics with Simon Poliakoff: 
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📄 Experiment Guide (Page 27) - Edu Lab: [[https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/edulabdocumentsandimages/documents/library/manuals/ESR23%20Manual.pdf]]\\

====Variations====
  * Use different types of prisms (glass vs. acrylic) and compare the clarity of the spectrum.  
  * Place the prism at different angles to produce wider or narrower spectra.  
  * Shine colored light instead of white light to see how a prism affects a single wavelength.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Avoid looking directly into the light box beam.  
  * Handle the glass prism carefully to prevent breakage.  
  * Keep electrical leads and power supply away from water.




====Questions to Consider====
  * Why does red light bend less than violet light in a prism? (Because red has a longer wavelength and lower refractive index than violet.)  
  * What is the order of colors in the visible spectrum? (Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet.)  
  * How is dispersion in a prism related to the natural formation of rainbows? (Raindrops act like tiny prisms, refracting and reflecting sunlight to separate colors.)