Separating White Light into Colors

When white light passes through a triangular prism, it separates into its component colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet). This occurs because each wavelength of light refracts, or bends, by a different amount as it enters and exits the prism.

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

Making a spectrum with a triangular prism and ray box - Physics with Simon Poliakoff:

📄 Experiment Guide (Page 27) - Edu Lab: https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/edulabdocumentsandimages/documents/library/manuals/ESR23%20Manual.pdf

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.)