Explain why a prism disperses white light into its component colors.

A prism disperses white light into its component colors because white light is made up of a combination of different wavelengths of light. When white light enters a prism, it is refracted or bent at different angles depending on its wavelength. This causes the different colors of light to separate and spread out, creating a spectrum of colors. This phenomenon is known as dispersion. The shorter wavelengths, such as blue and violet light, are refracted more than the longer wavelengths, such as red and orange light, resulting in the separation of the colors of the visible spectrum.

A prism disperses white light into its component colors due to the phenomenon of refraction. Refraction is the bending of light when it passes from one medium to another. The amount of bending depends on the wavelength of the light, with shorter wavelengths (violet light) bending more than longer wavelengths (red light).

When white light enters a prism, it is refracted at the first surface. The violet light is refracted more than the red light, so it bends more. This causes the white light to spread out into a spectrum of colors, with violet at one end and red at the other.

The prism's angle of incidence also affects the amount of dispersion. The greater the angle of incidence, the greater the dispersion. This is because the light has to travel a longer distance through the prism, giving it more time to bend.

The type of prism also affects the amount of dispersion. A prism with a high refractive index will disperse light more than a prism with a low refractive index. This is because the light will bend more in a prism with a high refractive index.

Dispersion is an important property of prisms. It is used in a variety of applications, such as spectroscopes and rainbows.