If a beam of blue light was shone through a glass prism, you would expect to see
A. The beam pass straight through, unaltered
B. The beam bent and split into a spectrum of colors
C. The beam bent, but continue as a blue beam
Or D. The beam absorbed and turned into heat
To answer this question, we need to understand how light interacts with a glass prism. When light passes through a prism, it undergoes a process called refraction, where it bends and separates into its constituent colors. This phenomenon is known as dispersion.
So the correct answer to the question is B. The beam of blue light would be bent and split into a spectrum of colors when shone through a glass prism.
To better understand why this happens, here's a step-by-step explanation of the phenomenon:
1. When light enters a glass prism, it slows down due to the change in the medium's optical properties. This change in speed causes the light to change direction or bend.
2. The amount of bending depends on the wavelength of the light. Different wavelengths of light (colors) bend by different amounts because they interact with the glass at different speeds.
3. Blue light has a shorter wavelength compared to red light, so it bends more when passing through the prism. This results in the blue light being deviated more than the other colors.
4. As a result of this differential bending, the blue light separates from the other colors, causing the beam to split into a spectrum of colors, which include violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. This spectrum is commonly known as a rainbow.
So, when a beam of blue light is shone through a glass prism, it will be bent and split into a spectrum of colors, as explained by the phenomenon of refraction and dispersion.