15.

1
DISPERSION OF
LIGHT
page 215 - 216
Presented by:
MR. RYAN C. CABRERA
Bachelor of Science in Physics
Post Baccalaureate in Teacher Education
Master in Educational Management
 The amount of overall refraction caused by the passage of a
light ray through a prism is often expressed in terms of
the angle of deviation (d).
The angle of deviation is the angle made between the incident
ray of light entering the first face of the prism and the refracted
ray that emerges from the second face of the prism.
Because of the different indices of refraction for the different
wavelengths of visible light, the angle of deviation varies with
wavelength.
Colors of the visible light spectrum that have shorter wavelengths
(BIV Blue, Indigo, Violet) will deviated more from their original path
than the colors with longer wavelengths (ROY Red, Orange,
Yellow).
The emergence of different colors of light from a triangular prism at
different angles leads an observer to see the component colors of
visible light separated from each other.
 Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Q: What is the dispersion of white light?
A: The dispersion of white light refers to its separation into different color
components. White light or visible light consists of the colors red, orange,
violet, green, blue and yellow. This phenomenon can occur when white
light travels through a glass prism.

Q: Who discovered light?

A: Even though light has been visible to humans for thousands of years,
it was Sir Isaac Newton who managed to understand what light consists
of. Newton was the first person to realize that white light consists of a mix
of light rays of various colors.
 Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Q: Where does the light come from?
A: Light is a form of energy produced by many chemical reactions. The
sun and other stars produce huge amounts of heat and light through
fusion and are the source of most visible light in the universe. Other
reactions that produce light are combustion and chemoluminescence.

Q: How do we see light?

A:The human eye sees light with the pupil and the retina. Located inside
the retina are two types of special cells called photoreceptor cells. There
are two varieties of photoreceptor cells known as cones and rods.
 Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Q: What is light made of?
A: Light is made of photons, which are fundamental particles. Because
photons have no mass, relativistic effects allow them to travel at
appropriately the speed of light.

Q: How is light produced?

A:Light is produced through a phenomenon known as electromagnetic
radiation, which is composed of both a magnetic and an electrical
component. Light, or visible light, is merely one small part of the overall
electromagnetic spectrum. The entire spectrum includes gamma rays, X-
rays, radio waves, microwaves and infrared light.
 Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Q: How does light make colors fade?
A: Light makes colors fade because ultraviolet radiation is capable of breaking
down the molecules of pigments and dyes. The long molecules that make up
these colors are often unstable, and the energy that ultraviolet radiation strikes
these molecules with is capable of breaking the weaker molecular bonds in the
structure. This degrades the colors over time, and as more molecules break
down, colors begin to fade.

Q: What are characteristics of light waves?

A: Light waves, a form of electromagnetic radiation, are energy-carrying waves
able to self-propagate through the vacuum of space at 3x10^8 meters per
second. While "light" sometimes colloquially refers to the entire electromagnetic
spectrum, visible light is actually a very small part of it.
 Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Q: What has wavelengths that are shorter than visible light?
A: Ultraviolet radiation, X-rays and gamma rays all have wavelengths that
are shorter than visible light. The ultraviolet spectrum ranges from 400 to
10 billionths of a meter, X-rays from about 10 billionths to 10 trillionths of
a meter, and gamma rays less than 10 trillionths of a meter.

Q: What are the dangers of visible light?

A: Blue-violet light on the visible light spectrum can cause damage to
retina cells, increasing one's risk of developing age-related macular
degeneration, explains Essilor. Macular degeneration is an eye condition
in which the portion of the retina involved with sharp, central vision
deteriorates.
 Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Q: What is a particle of light called?
A: A particle of light is called a photon, which is a small particle made up
of electromagnetic radiation. These particles have no charge or resting
mass, but travel at the speed of light. The energy of photons cannot be
divided, thus they are often referred to as energy packets.

Q: Is light a particle or a wave?

A: Light manifests properties of both a particle and a wave, depending on
the nature of the measuring apparatus used. Albert Einstein's
photoelectric effect, explained in 1905, highlights the particle nature of
light in terms of frequency and intensity of electron emissions. The wave
nature is evident in large-scale applications.